Children of the Sea
by StarKnight2.0
Summary: Sequel to Into the Deep. Five years after the Rapture incident, Wally and Artemis are living in peace. But they soon find themselves on a rescue mission back to the undersea city. They find themselves allied with a Big Daddy and a strange girl named Eleanor. Unfortunately, they face an enemy that is even more twisted than Andrew Ryan and the Splicers. Complete.
1. Ch 1: Down Once More

**(A/n: Sorry for the wait. Here you go, a sequel. Enjoy!)**

* * *

Ch. 1: Down Once More

Artemis and Wally were sitting in their home after a long day.

They had moved in together long ago after they retired from being costumed heroes. From time to time they would visit their friends at Mount Justice and even lend a hand but they were officially out of the superhero business.

As they sat down to dinner, they heard a knock on the door.

Wally frowned "Who could that be?"

Artemis shrugged and the speedster went to the door. When he opened it he quirked an eyebrow "Batman? What are you doing here?"

Batman stood on the porch with a grim expression on his face and he said to Wally "I need your help".

Wally let Batman in and they went to the dining room where Artemis waited.

Artemis was surprised to see Batman "What are you doing here?" "I need both of you" said Batman

"With what?" asked Wally.

Batman reached for his belt and he withdrew a small round device. He placed it on the table and he switched it on. A small holographic screen appeared, floating over the device. Artemis and Wally saw images of young girls on the screen.

Batman explained, "Over the past few months, girls of various ages from all along the eastern seaboard have gone missing. Some with families, some were orphans. Law enforcement have searched and search but found no trace of them"

"Ok so what does this have to do with us?" asked Artemis.

Batman pressed a button on the holographic projector and the image of the girls vanished and was replaced by a blurry figure moving at an astonishing speed towards an inky black sea.

The caped crusader said, "This photo was from an eyewitness account, taken just a week ago. The man who took the picture described the kidnapper as a person in an old divers suit. His description matches that of a Big Daddy".

Artemis and Wally looked at Batman in shock. A Big Daddy, the guardian of the Little Sisters and the creations of Andrew Ryan were now appearing on land. That doesn't bode well.

Wally asked, "You think that a bunch of Big Daddy's are kidnapping girls?"

"It seems that way" said Batman "If they are, than the only place they could take these girls is to Rapture".

Artemis felt an overwhelming sense of dread at the mention of Rapture. Even though it had been five years since they were in that horrible city, Artemis still had nightmares of Splicers, their twisted and distorted bodies.

Some of her nightmares brought back the images of Dr. Steinman's deadly pursuit of perfection, Sander Cohen and his grotesque art and the madness of Andrew Ryan.

Wally turned a little green "Your not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

Batman nodded slowly "I'm afraid so. You must go down to Rapture and rescue those girls. You are the only ones who know the inside of the city and you escaped before"

"Just barely" said Artemis "we had help from Tenenbaum and Jack".

Batman sighed deeply "I know you don't want to go back down but you must. The League is busy with a developing problem on the west coast and the rest of the team is already on assignments."

Artemis looked at Wally in concern. Niether of them wanted to return to Rapture but if the Big Daddies were kidnapping children from the surface and taking them to Rapture, it's obviously bad.

Reluctantly, they agreed. Wally then told Batman "On one condition, we find Jack and Tenenbaum"

"Yeah, its practically Jack's city" said Artemis "And Tenenbaum has lived their for the past several decades, we'll need their help".

Batman nodded "I thought as much, I have already done a search for him before I came and I found a match"

"Where is he?" asked Artemis.

* * *

Wally, Artemis and Batman stood outside of Jack's place of residence.

The archer nodded in approval and said "Nice place".

Jack's home was a small, two-story home with white walls, a black roof, a green lawn and a small driveway. The house sat in a secluded area on the edge of a small town in Florida. Batman flew Artemis and Wally down there after they packed their things.

Batman told them that he found Jack after running a search on his name, Tenenbaum's name and on his face. Eventually he found a match.

Wally, Artemis and Batman approached the front door. The speedster knocked on the door. There was a muffled shout "Hold on!"

There were some clatter and the door finally opened, revealing a young man. He was tall and in his early twenties. He was dressed in a grey suit and blue tie.

At first, Artemis mistook him as a young Andrew Ryan but she later recognized that it was Jack.

Jack looked at Wally and Artemis in surprise "Artemis? Wally? What are you doing here?"

"We were in the neighborhood and we wanted to say hi" said Wally.

Jack looked to Batman then back to Artemis and Wally "Uh, is something wrong?"

"We need to talk" said Wally.

* * *

Jack showed them in. He led them to a small living room where a pair of girls sat on the couch watching television.

Artemis recognized that they were Little Sisters that Jack rescued and they were also the ones who helped defeat Fontaine. They looked a little older and healthier than the last time she saw them.

Jack asked them to leave. The girls grumbled a little but they left.

Batman watched as they left then he glanced to Jack "Little sisters?"

"Yeah" said Jack, shoving his hands in his pockets. He motioned for them to sit on the couch. Artemis and Wally sat down but Batman remained standing.

Jack asked "So what brings you to our neck of the woods?"

Wally gave Jack a quick explanation about the missing girls and the possibility that the Big Daddies are responsible. As Jack listened he nodded a little. Once Wally finished, Artemis asked, "Can you or Tenenbaum help us?"

"I don't think my mom can help" said Jack "She's missing".

The two blinked in surprise "For how long?" asked Wally

Jack shrugged "A few months. One day she was here, the next morning she was gone without a word"

Batman frowned and he said "I believe that whoever is taking the children is also responsible for her disappearance"

Jack nodded a little "Maybe" "Will you help us?" asked Wally.

Jack hesitated "I don't know, I got eight little sisters to take care of…"

"I think I can arrange something," said Batman. Jack thought for a moment.

Artemis pleaded "Please Jack, we need your help. If we don't go soon, who knows what will happen to those girls". Eventually, Jack sighed than muttered "Fine".

Batman, Artemis and Wally waited outside for Jack.

After a few minutes, he stepped out of his house. A small, blond girl gave him a hug and said goodbye. Jack patted her on the head saying something to her.

He walked towards the three waiting heroes saying, "Ok, we're good to go".

Batman nodded and he led them to his plane.

* * *

As the plane flew over the ocean at top speed, Artemis noticed that Jack was still wearing his grey suit.

The archer asked, "Why are you all dressed up like that?"

"I was on my way to a job interview" said Jack "I would've changed but since we're in such a hurry, I decided to keep the suit".

He then muttered, "If I die, I'll die well dressed".

A few hours later, the lone lighthouse appeared on the horizon. Batman carefully maneuvered the plane and he landed near the steps.

Jack, Artemis and Wally hopped out of the plane and climbed up the steps.

Batman told Wally and Artemis on the radio "When you find the girls, return to the surface and signal me"

"Right" said Artemis. Batman's plane ascended into the dark, cloudy sky and vanished from sight.

Jack shivered as a chilly ocean breeze swept through him. He muttered bitterly, "This brings back memories".

Wally and Artemis pushed open the massive, bronze doors. The doors opened with a loud creak. They entered the lighthouse and the lights flickered on.

The inside of the lighthouse was empty and had some dust layering the lamps. The enormous statue of Andrew Ryan was still there. It was covered in a thick film of dust and the banner it held was faded and dusty. Beneath the thick layer of dust, Andrew Ryan scowled down at them.

Jack waved at the statue "Hey dad, how are you?" there was silence.

Jack shrugged "I'm fine thanks for asking. Mom has been taking good care of us kids, don't you be worried about that".

Wally frowned at Jack "Why are you talking to a statue?" "No reason" said Jack shrugging.

The trio made their way to the bathyspheres.

Artemis and Wally saw the stone carving of the group of people staring down at Rapture. They recognized several figures.

One was Andrew Ryan, another was Sander Cohen, and one was Tenenbaum.

Jack glared at the carvings of Frank Fontaine and Yi Suchong.

Artemis saw the bathysphere waiting in the pool of ocean water as it did before the first time. Jack opened the sphere and climbed in saying "Déjà vu".

Wally and Artemis approached the sphere.

The archer's pulse began to quicken and she became short of breath. Wally squeezed her hand muttering, "We're going to be ok".

Artemis nodded slowly and they climbed into the sphere. Jack pulled on the switch to the Rapture Metro station. The door closed and sealed them in. The sphere rocked and it sank like a stone. Artemis, Wally and Jack began hoping that they will return to the surface.

As the bathysphere sank deeper into the ocean, a film screen slid down over the window and the hidden projector began playing the same film from before, explaining Rapture's origins.

Jack spoke aloud "Just what I need, another lecture from dad".

Artemis smiled and felt a little less nervous.

* * *

In Rapture, Sophia Lamb sat in her office tinkering with a new plasmid she was inventing when a Houdini Splicer appeared in front of her desk.

The Splicer hissed, "The Bathysphere from the lighthouse has been activated, just as you have foretold".

Sophia smiled "Good. Any sign of Tenenbaum or Sinclair?"

"None" said the Splicer.

Sophia shook her head and tutted "Disappointing. I don't like failures, the Family doesn't like failures. You know what we do with failures?"

"Y-Yes" stuttered the Splicer.

Sophia nodded "Good, now go find Sinclair and Tenenbaum and put an end to their meddling or else"

"Yes ma'am" hissed the Splicer and he vanished.

Once she was alone, Sophia glanced at the picture of her daughter Eleanor on her desk and she muttered, "Soon my daughter…just a little longer and we will have the utopia we have always dreamed of".

End of chapter.

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**(a/n: not a very good start but i hope you enjoyed it. Please review!)**


	2. Ch 2: Little Sister, Big Sister

**(a/n: Here you go, a new chapter. Enjoy!)**

* * *

Ch.2: Little Sister, Big Sister

The bathysphere came to a rocky halt. Artemis, Wally and Jack were jostled around by the sphere's rocking.

When the sphere finally settled, Jack flipped a switch on the wall of the sphere and the door swung open. Jack hopped out of the sphere and breathed in the artificial air of Rapture saying "No place like home".

When Artemis climbed out of the sphere, she noticed how radically different Rapture was.

For starters, they were in a different metro station than before. But that station was cleaner and a little more put together.

Now, the station they were in was a complete mess.

Moss, coral and luminous undersea plants grew all over the metal walls and pillars of the metro station. Barnacles covered the ceiling and seawater flowed down the front steps like a waterfall into a deep pool. Soggy old luggage bobbed and floated around the deep pool of ocean water.

Artemis noticed that the walls were eroded and colored differently. The station looked like the sea was slowly claiming Rapture, piece by little piece. Lamps flickered on and off, the only light fully illuminating the station were the glowing plants that were growing from the floor and the walls.

Jack frowned and said quietly "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but this city has gotten even crappier".

Artemis nodded in agreement. Wally glanced at Jack "You got that radio?"

"Yep" said Jack, pulling out a small bulky radio from his suit jacket. It was the same radio that they used to communicate with Tenenbaum and Atlas.

Wally told Jack "Search for a signal, if your mom is down here, than maybe she has a radio"

"on it" said Jack. He switched on the radio and he began searching through the channels.

Wally and Artemis glanced around the station. It was mostly abandoned and quiet but they knew that there would be Splicers lurking about in the shadows. Artemis saw something at the top of the stairs. She rushed up the stairs to get a better look and she saw a message scrawled on the wall in white paint.

The message read, "_Fallen, Fallen is Babylon"_.

Artemis frowned in confusion and she glanced over at Wally "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know" said Wally "But I don't care. The sooner we find those kids and Tenenbaum, the sooner we can get out of this hellhole"

"Hey!" said Jack indignantly as he climbed up the stairs "This hellhole happens to be my home"

"Sorry" apologized Wally.

Jack smiled "I'm just messing with ya. This place is a hellhole".

The radio crackled and there was a voice speaking through the static "_…He…Hello? Can you hear me? Your signal is weak, can you hear me?"_

Jack looked at the radio in surprise. It was Tenenbaum.

Jack replied, "Y-Yes, I can hear you. Mom, are you ok?"

"_Jack?"_ said Tenenbaum in shock "_What are you doing here?"_

"Looking for you" said Jack "And for some kids that have gone missing from the surface. I got Wally and Artemis with me"

Tenenbuam sighed deeply "_You should not have come. You are all in danger, especially you Jack"_

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Wally.

Tenenbaum hesitated for a moment than said, "_I can't explain over the radio."_

"Why?" asked Artemis

"_She might be listening"_ said Tenebaum_ "You need to find me. Come to the Atlantic Express train station, you'll find me there. But be careful, the city is slowly reawakening". _

The radio went silent. Wally looked to Artemis "Well now that we found Tenenbaum, all we have to is find those kids and we'll be home before lunch".

Jack slipped the radio back into his pocket saying "Alright then, lets go" he climbed another set of stairs and he started off down a corridor.

Wally and Artemis followed.

* * *

The trio walked down a few corridors that were filled with fallen debris and Splicers. Along the walls were brief final messages, scrawled in white paint saying, "_Stay away!" _or "_She is watching"_

Jack frowned at the messages saying, "That's comforting".

Artemis inspected the messages saying, "Who's she?"

Jack shrugged "I don't know".

They continued on. Artemis, Jack and Wally climbed some more stairs and went down a hall that was covered in plants and coral that glowed bright pink. Jack tried to open the door but some barnacles blocked it up. He clenched his hand into a fist and he unleashed a small bolt of lightening upon the barnacles.

The barnacles fell away from the door and the door slid open.

Artemis looked at Jack in surprise "You still have your plasmid powers?"

"Yeah" said Jack, flexing his fingers "Mom said the effects are permanent. If I don't use them too much, I won't need to refuel on ADAM or Eve hypo as much as i used to".

Wally nodded in approval "Cool".

On the other side of the door was another corridor. Hanging on the walls were browned and aged advertisements for a place called "Adonis Luxury Resort and Spa".

Jack quoted the advertisements "_Rapture's finest spa and getaway_. Sounds nice, to bad this whole town's crazy or I might have checked myself in and-" suddenly Jack grabbed his head and doubled over in pain.

Artemis and Wally rushed to his side. "Jack?" said Wally in worry "Are you ok?"

Jack moaned a little and he saw the image of a brown haired girl his age flash before his eyes and a soft voice saying "_Jack…"_

As quickly as it came, the pain vanished. Jack blinked a few times and he stood up. He breathed, "Ok, that was new"

"What happened?" asked Artemis.

Jack shook his head "No idea but…I think I saw someone"

"Saw someone?" said Wally

Jack nodded "Yeah. It felt like someone was in my head, trying to tell me something. And she looked familiar"

"She?" said Artemis. Jack nodded again. Artemis and Wally looked at each other nervously.

Artemis turned to Jack "Do you think this girl could be the she that these messages and Tenenbaum are talking about?"

Jack shrugged "I don't know, maybe"

"We need to be careful" said Wally "Who knows who this person might be"

Jack nodded "Right". The trio resumed their journey.

* * *

After walking through cramped corridors, Jack, Artemis and Wally entered a spacious foyer.

The foyer was covered in dirty, black and white tiles.

In the center of the foyer was a reception desk with a globe of steel with a neon sign that read "_Adonis Spa and Resort"._ Around the foyer were fallen marble pillars styled after ones from Greece and blocking a section of the foyer was a roof styled after the roof of one from the Parthenon.

Jack smiled "Well, it looks like I got my wish".

Suddenly, the three heard a soft humming. They turned and saw a Little Sister a short distance away, gathering ADAM from a Splicer corpse.

Artemis shivered. She never got over seeing a Little Sister the first time. An innocent little girl, transformed into a demented, twisted creature who gathers ADAM from the bodies of the dead and acts like its some sort of game.

Jack approached the little girl to cure her.

As he got close, the little girl stopped and looked up at Jack. A happy smile appeared on her face.

She jumped up and she ran over to Jack then clamped onto his leg. The Little Sister hugged Jack's leg tightly saying, "You're here! She said you would come!"

Jack frowned in confusion "Who said that?"

The little girl just cried happily "You came back! You're home!".

Jack glanced back at Wally and Artemis saying "Anyone else a little creeped out by this?" his two friends nodded.

The Little Sister let go of Jack's leg and she grinned up at him as if he were her big brother who had just recently returned home from a long trip. Jack felt a little creeped out but he knelt down and moved to cure her but suddenly an eerie screech filled the air.

Artemis, Jack, Wally and the Little Sister flinched and covered their ears.

When the screech died, the Little Sister looked around the foyer in fear.

She looked up at Jack saying in a frightened tone "Big Sister doesn't want you playing with me"

"Big Sister?' said Wally

"That doesn't sound good" said Artemis.

Suddenly, a shape landed on the reception desk and crushed it beneath its weight. The three turned and saw that it looked like a Big Daddy, but it was not.

The new comer looked like a Big Daddy but it was a world different from the hulking beasts. The figure standing before them was lithe, tall, wore less heavy gear and had a red light coming from the porthole on its helmet. On its back was a basket cage with ribbons attached.

The Little Sister backed away whimpering "Big Sister".

Jack scowled at the Big Sister saying, "Who are you?"

The Big Sister launched herself into the air and moved to impale Jack with the long, sharp needle attached to her arm.

Quickly, Jack used telekinesis to hold the Big Sister in mid air and toss her across the foyer. The Big Sister landed gracefully on her feet and let out an eerie screech.

Jack, Artemis and Wally winced in pain as the shrill scream echoed around the foyer.

The Big Sister growled and launched a barrage of fireballs. Jack shot them down with small bursts of ice.

As Jack kept the Big Sister at bay, Artemis and Wally began searching for a weapon. Wally spotted a discarded pistol. The speedster scooped it up and checked the clip. It only had a few bullets left. Wally took aim and he fired at the Big Sister.

Some of the shots bounced harmlessly off of the Big Sister's helmet but the rest missed.

The Big Sister turned to Wally. She cocked her head and she hurled a fireball at him. Wally quickly dodged and took cover behind a fallen marble pillar.

Artemis spotted a neglected machine gun nearby. She scrambled towards it. As she made her way to the gun, Jack sailed overhead and collided with one of the many pillars. He slumped to the floor.

Artemis glanced back and saw the Big Sister zeroing in on her.

Hastily, Artemis sprinted to the gun. She was just inches away when the Big Sister jumped into her path and knocked her over with single swing of her arm.

Artemis was knocked to the ground and the Big Sister pinned her to the floor with her boot.

The archer stared up at the crimson lights of the Big Sister, her heart pounded away in her chest. The Big Sister raised her needle and was about to drive it through Artemis's head when suddenly the Big Sister was knocked away by a large figure.

Artemis scrambled away and when she turned around, she was taken by surprise by what she saw. The archer saw a Big Daddy wrestling with the Big Sister.

The Big Daddy overpowered the Big Sister pretty easily.

Artemis watched as the Big Daddy chucked the Big Sister across the foyer. The Big Sister crashed to the floor and quickly got back up.

The Big Sister hissed at the Big Daddy like a feral animal then retreated through an open doorway behind her.

Artemis saw the Big Daddy turn to her and stare at her for a few moments. She didn't know weather to thank him or to run away before he attacked.

The Big Daddy droned something that sounded like a question. Artemis stammered "I-Uh, thanks for helping me"

The Big Daddy nodded slowly. Wally got up from behind the fallen pillar and said "That was amazing"

Jack got up, rubbing his head "What happened?" Artemis explained to Jack and Jack looked to the Big Daddy in surprise.

The Big Daddy stared at Jack for a moment then reached over and patted Jack on the head.

Jack frowned in confusion "Uh…Have we met?" the Big Daddy nodded a little.

Jack cocked an eyebrow "Really? Huh, forgive me if I don't remember your name right away. I haven't been in Rapture in a very long time and the memories are slowly coming back to me."

"_His name is Delta" _said Tenenbaum.

Jack pulled out the radio and Tenenbaum explained, "_I asked him to help you. He has lost something and I am going to help him get it back. For now, you must work together to survive. Rapture is even more dangerous than the last time you were here" _

"You got that right" muttered Artemis.

Wally asked, "What the heck was that thing?"

"_A Big Sister"_ answered Tenenbaum "_I can't say more until you get to Atlantic Express Train station"_. The radio went dead.

Jack sighed and rubbed his throbbing head "This day gets better and better".

Delta pointed toward the door the Big Sister escaped through and droned. Artemis nodded "Yeah, it looks like our best bet to get out of here".

Wally shrugged "Why not?"

Artemis picked up the machine gun and Wally pocketed his pistol. With that, Delta, Artemis, Jack and Wally marched through the doorway the Big Sister retreated through.

End of chapter.

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**(a/n: It's not much, but i hoped you enjoyed it. Please review!)**


	3. Ch 3: Sofia Lamb

**(a/n: I hope you enjoy this. Please review!)**

* * *

Ch. 3: Sofia Lamb

Jack, Artemis, Wally and Delta walked down a dimly lit corridor.

They stepped over fallen debris, ducked under low hanging electrical wires and pushed pass obsticles. The four entered Demeter's Banquet Hall.

They stood at the top of what was once a grand staircase that led down into the main banquet hall but now the stairs were gone, leaving long drop to the hall below.

Delta jumped down and landed with a loud thud and splash. Artemis, Wally and Jack were about to follow but suddenly the Big Sister appeared.

She crawled down from the ceiling and attached herself to the large glass window on the other side of the banquet hall. The Big Sister slashed the glass with her needle then she skittered away. The glass cracked and split, spewing cold ocean water.

Jack's eyes widened "That's not good".

The glass cracked further and more seawater spewed into the banquet hall. Wally yelled, "Run!"

The three turned and ran but Delta stood his ground. Once they were out of the banquet hall, Jack sealed the bulkhead door.

The three peered through the small porthole and saw that the glass finally shattered, letting the ocean come crashing in. The sudden rush of water swept up Delta but once the water filled the banquet hall to capacity, Delta regained his footing.

Tenenbaum spoke over the radio "_In that suit, even the ocean cannot harm him. This is good." _

"What do we do?" asked Wally.

Tenenbaum explained "_Find another way around, Delta will meet you on the other side. Now go, there is not much time"_

Jack nodded "ok" the three took off running down the nearest corridor.

* * *

Delta lumbered through the broken window and into the ocean. He marched on, weaving through a maze of rocks and coral.

An immense pressure pushed down on him but he pressed on.

Delta saw Jack, Artemis and Wally through a window. He saw that they were running to catch up with him.

Delta distantly remembered Jack from long ago. Most of his memories were fuzzy. He remembered Eleanor, his time Rapture and a little of Jack but the rest was cloudy.

That is why he is going to Tenenbaum, she knows about him and the whereabouts of Eleanor. Delta continued on until he came to a small metal chamber.

He pulled a nearby switch and the flooded chamber slowly drained away the seawater.

Once the chamber was voided of water, the door opened, revealing Jack, Artemis and Wally. The three were catching their breaths.

Tenenbaum spoke on the radio "_Good, you're here like the little ones said. Now come up to the ticket booth and I shall explain what I know". _

Delta droned and Jack panted, "Right just give me a sec".

Once they got their second wind, Jack, Artemis, Wally and Delta resumed their journey.

* * *

The four walked down a narrow hall that was overgrown with seaweed.

As they ascended a set of stairs, they heard muttering. When they reached the top, Artemis saw a splicer talking to an empty ticket booth, trying to get tickets for the train.

They hurried past the splicer and passed through a door. On the other side of the door, Artemis saw inscribed on a wall in white paint a message. The message read, "_We will be reborn"_.

Artemis didn't know what it meant but something about it wasn't good. Jack, Artemis, Wally and Delta continued on through a train workshop.

The four tried to exit the workshop but they found that the exit was sealed shut.

Jack glanced around the workshop saying, "There should be a switch around here to open this door". The four split up and began their search. As they searched through the workshop, Wally heard soft jazz music playing from somewhere in the workshop. He shivered. The music made the workshop a little more eerie.

Delta discovered a small room that had a consol with a switch. The Big Daddy motioned for Jack and the others to see.

Jack, Artemis and Wally arrived. Jack inspected the switch and said, "This could be it"

"Well, flip it" said Artemis. Delta flipped the switch and suddenly the lights went out, then the doors sealed them in the room, plunging the four into darkness.

There was only a little bit of light, coming from the porthole of Delta's helmet. Suddenly multiple screens flickered on and the image of a familiar blond woman appeared.

The woman scowled at Delta "_I know you. That symbol on your hand marks you a dead man. Sixteen years, Subject Delta, since I watched you put a gun to your head and pulled the trigger. But take heart. Out of your pain, Paradise was born"._

Wally frowned at the screen saying, "She looks familiar" "Yeah, she does" said Artemis.

Jack nodded in agreement then he suddenly recognized the woman. Jack breathed "Ms. Lamb?"

Sofia Lamb glanced at Jack and smiled "_Jack, welcome home. It is good to see you again."_

"What's going on?' asked Jack.

Sofia replied "_Nothing that concerns you, yet. At the moment I have personal business to settle with Subject Delta". _She turned her gaze to the Big Daddy and said, "_I don't know how you survived but your suffering is over now. These men shall ease your burden" _the four heard screaming coming from outside followed by gunshots.

Sofia said gently "_Please understand, all that I have done. This…is an act of love"._ The screens went dead.

Tenenbaum gasped, "_She has found you, you must escape!"_

"How?" asked Wally.

Suddenly the door was forced open a little and a Splicer lobbed a Molotov into the room hissing, "This should smoke 'em out".

It crashed on the floor and set fire to the wooden floor. The Splicers waited as the flames grew higher and higher. The floor beneath them creaked and groaned then suddenly gave way. Jack, Artemis, Wally and Delta fell through the floor and landed safely in water.

Jack, Artemis and Wally went up for air and they saw the hole they fell through. It was several floors up and they saw the fire raging on.

Artemis glanced around and she saw Delta motioned them to follow. She waved Jack and Wally over "Come on".

The three dived down and they swam after Delta.

* * *

Delta marched down some narrow passages that were filled with pipes, sand and seaweed.

Following closely behind were Jack, Artemis and Wally. The four weaved through a small maze of pipes until finally the reached a set of stairs.

They climbed up the stairs and out of the water. Jack took deep breaths saying, "That's a new personal record".

Artemis glanced down at the water than asked Tenenbaum "What the heck was all that about?"

"_That was Sofia Lamb"_ answered Tenenbaum "_She is the enemy I had been facing all these months" _"How did you know she found us?" asked Wally.

Tenenbaum replied, "_The camera in Delta's helmet allows me to see what he sees. It will help me guide you to safety". _

Jack coughed out some seawater and said "Lets get going before the Splicers find us".

The four continued on and they entered the Atlantic Express storage office.

In the storage office, Delta found a large rivet gun. He pocketed some clips and cocked the weapon.

As they made their way out of the office, Tenenbaum hissed, "_Stop!" _everyone halted in place.

"What?" asked Wally. Delta pointed up at the ceiling. Hanging from the ceiling was a security camera. Tenenbaum whispered "_Sofia Lamb owns the cameras now. Be very careful". _

Artemis watched as the camera moved and scanned the room. There wasn't any way they could sneak pass that with out Sofia noticing.

Jack went back to the storage room and rummaged through some old boxes on one of the shelves. He came back with a small device that looked like a miniature gun turret.

The device was tiny, had a dozen tiny barrels and a round antenna. Jack strapped the device to his wrist and he leveled it to the security camera. He pressed a small button on the device and a tiny dart shot out of it. The dart embedded itself in the camera. The camera sparked and it went still.

Artemis glanced at Jack "What is that?"

"A Hack Tool" replied Jack, holding up the wrist-mounted device "Automatically hacks and disables anything ranging from cameras to vending machines and to gun turrets". He held up small instruction booklet in his other hand "Very helpful".

Artemis, Wally, Jack and Delta continued on through the office before the camera was able to come back online.

They passed a small mailroom where a small red wagon was. In the wagon was a plasmid bottle. Delta stopped and approached then paused suddenly.

Jack went back and saw Delta standing there. He frowned and placed a hand on Delta's arm "Hey are you-?"

But suddenly an image flashed into his mind. It was the girl from earlier. She spoke quietly "_…Father, I knew you were alive. Mother won't be able to toy with you like that ever again. The plasmid is for you, use it well" _she addressed Jack "_I always hoped that you would return and now you have. Please…help my father. Please, find me". _

The image faded and Jack let go of Delta's arm.

Artemis and Wally went back to the mailroom and saw Delta and Jack standing there. Artemis asked, "Are you guys ok?"

"Y-yeah" mumbled Jack, rubbing his aching head.

Delta picked up the plasmid bottle and he injected the plasmid into his arm through a small tub on the arm of his suit. Delta flexed his fingers and he pointed at an Eve hypo sitting on a desk across the room. The Eve hypo flew into his hand.

Jack smiled "Telekinesis, awesome".

* * *

After Delta finished testing out his new powers, they left the mailroom. They fought their way through some Splicers, passed through a dilapidated café and entered another train workshop.

As they made their way through the workshop, Wally asked, "Why are the Splicers attacking us? Andrew Ryan was controlling them but now he's dead, shouldn't they just leave us alone or something?"

"_Sofia is in control"_ said Tenenbaum "_They are her puppets, like the Big Daddies. But not Delta" _

"Why does she have it in for Delta?' asked Artemis

"_Because of the bond that he has with Eleanor" _said a new voice. It was Sofia.

She spoke "_He has an unhealthy bond with my daughter. He will try to reunite with her but Eleanor has a destiny, a destiny that he will not share with her. There is no room in paradise for him and others like him"_ .

The radio went silent. They heard shouts coming from the other side of the workshop and they grew louder and louder.

Tenenbaum barked, "_Quickly, get to the elevator!" _Artemis spotted an elevator up ahead.

The four sprinted to the elevator and crammed inside. As the doors sealed shut, they saw Splicers flooding into the workshop.

* * *

Once the elevator reached the top floor, Delta, Jack, Artemis and Wally made their way to the transit station.

There, Delta shot the only splicer there who was trying to break into a ticket booth. Jack knocked on the window and the metal panels slid away, revealing Tenenbaum.

She wore a brown dressed and she looked extremely weary. In the booth with her were several small girls. Artemis recognized some of them. They were the missing children from the surface.

Tenenbaum smiled "Jack, I'm glad to see that you are safe"

"Good to see that your ok mom" said Jack. He then said "Come on, we got to go"

Tenenbaum shook her head "No. I can't leave, not yet" "Why not?" asked Wally.

Tenenbuam glanced back at the some of the children in the ticket booth "The little ones. Lamb has more of them somewhere and I must rescue them." she turned back to Jack and the others "That is why I returned, this is why I fight Sofia Lamb. I must save the children or else more will die for my sins. If I don't the Rapture nightmare will continue forever".

Wally asked, "Where are the other kids?"

Tenenbaum shook her head "I am not sure. Sofia has plans for them, what those plans are I do not know".

She glanced to Jack "She also has something planned for you Jack".

Jack's eyebrows rose "Really? What?"

Tenenbaum shrugged "I don't know but whatever it is, it cannot be good".

Tenenbaum turned to Delta "Delta, we must talk about-" but she was interrupted by a loud screeching. The screeching died and Sofia spoke over an intercom "_Citizens of Rapture, this is Sofia Lamb". _

Tenenbaum turned and everyone looked to where she was looking. In the corner of the ticket booth was a television screen.

On the screen was Sofia Lamb. She spoke "_This is Subject Delta" _a picture of Delta appeared on the screen as Sofia continued, "_Behind that mask hides an enemy of the people, without soul or sympathy"._

Sofia's face reappeared on the screen "_it is a beast apart—and as a family, we must tear its jaw out and drive it back to the sea!" _

Wally frowned "Talk about brutal" "Yeah" said Artemis.

Sofia continued, "_Accompanying this beast are two surface dwelling demons" _an image of Artemis and Wally appeared on the screen. Sofia reappeared on the screen "_They seek to tear our family apart and destroy our paradise. Eliminate them, leave no trace for their masters." _

Wally and Artemis stared at the screen in shock. Sofia Lamb was really going all out to get rid of them.

Finally, an image of Jack appeared on the screen and Sofia spoke "_This young man is Jack. He is a son of Rapture. Delta and his accomplices have taken him hostage. An extra ration of ADAM to the ones who kill Delta, his comrades and brings Jack to me alive". _

Sofia reappeared on the screen one final time saying "_That is all_" then the screen and the intercom went dead.

In the distance they heard Splicers yelling about the announcement and the possibility of free ADAM. Their shouts began to grow louder and closer.

Tenenbaum's eyes widened and she turned to Delta and the others "You must hold back the Splicers until I can get the children out of here"

"On it" said Wally. Delta nodded and he cocked his rivet gun.

Artemis, Jack, Wally and Delta took up positions around the station. They prepared themselves as the onslaught of Splicers raced towards the station.

End of Chapter.

* * *

**(a/n: I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!)**


	4. Ch 4: Ryan Amusements

**(a/n: Please enjoy and review!)**

* * *

Ch. 4: Ryan Amusements

Delta fired the last shot and the last Splicer fell to the floor with a large rivet in his head.

Jack sighed in relief and rubbed his sore hand. Artemis, Jack, Wally and Delta managed to hold their own against the onslaught of Splicers. Exhausted, Jack sat down on a nearby bench, breathing heavily. Delta approached Jack and droned, as if he were asking if Jack was all right.

Jack nodded slowly "I'm fine…I just need some ADAM".

The Big Daddy handed Jack an Eve hypo. Jack looked up at Delta in surprise and accepted it "T-thanks". Delta patted Jack on the head then walked away and began searching the corpses for rivets.

Wally and Artemis checked their weapons. Wally was almost out and Artemis had only a few shots left.

Tenenbaum spoke to them "_Thank you. Now I must leave you and I am very sorry for this"_

"Leave?" said Wally "Where are you going?"

"_There are others in this city I must save before Rapture drowns"_ explained Tenenbaum.

Jack frowned "What about us? We need help"

"_Don't worry, there is someone who can help you"_ said Tenenbaum "_This man-Sinclair…he is an ally. He will guide you to Eleanor and to Lamb. Goodbye, Herr Delta. Goodbye Jack, I will find you again…I hope"_

"Bye…mom" said Jack, quietly.

The radio suddenly became filled with static and a new voice came on. The voice was male and it had a thick southern accent "_Well look it y'all, a real bona fide knight in armor and two surface dwellers. The name's Augustus Sinclair, esquire." _

Sinclair chuckled a little "_Oh my stars. Jackie, is that you? Well I haven't seen you since you were a little bean sprout" _

"I'm sorry but my memories are a little fuzzy when it comes to Rapture" said Jack.

Sinclair said "_I used to bring thanksgiving dinner to you and your mama every year when you were still with us. You used to call me Uncle Sinclair"_

Jack's eyes widened a little "Oh, now I remember" he smiled a little "How are you?"

"_Fine"_ said Sinclair "_Just fightin' the good fight". _Wally cut in to the conversation "Hate to interrupt, but shouldn't we get going?"

"_Right you are son" _said Sinclair "_Y'all better skedaddle before more of Sofia's puppets arrive"._

Sinclair directed them to a nearby train car waiting for them in the middle of the tracks. When they boarded the train, Delta flipped a switch and the doors slid shut. Artemis noticed that the windows and doors were made specifically to be airtight. The doors and windows were sealed tightly to keep out water.

As the train slowly began to move, Artemis asked, "So what's the plan?"

"_For starters, we stop Sofia Lamb" _said Sinclair "_To do that, we must find her base of operations and rescue Eleanor" _

"Where is her base of operations?" asked Wally.

Sinclair explained "_From what Ol' Tenenbaum and I were able to gather, Eleanor is being held in the basement of Fontaine's old building. It is most likely heavily guarded. But Sofia's whereabouts, it's still a mystery." _

"Great" said Jack dryly.

The train car moved down the track and it slowly sank into the dark sea. Artemis, Wally and Jack looked out the window and watched as the train carried them through a train tunnel that was filled to the brim with ocean water.

Schools of fish swam past the train and seaweed bushed lightly against the windows.

* * *

A few minutes later, the train ascended out of the water and it continued down a set of tracks above the water.

Sinclair warned them "_Whoa there. Better apply the breaks. Unless you're aiming to dash yourself against that glacier up ahead"_

Artemis and Wally looked up ahead and saw that a wall of ice blocked the rest of the tunnel up. Delta pulled on the breaks and the train came to a screeching halt. The doors slid open, revealing a platform.

Jack, Wally, Artemis and Delta disembarked the train and stepped onto the platform. The platform was connected to a small station that led to another part of the city.

Sinclair said calmly "_As you can see folks, the station's iced over. To reach Eleanor Lamb at Fontaine headquarters, you must melt that ice. You'll need a plasmid like a handful o' hellfire"_

"Easy, Jack can melt that ice" said Wally.

Jack held up a hand "I don't think so"

"Why not?" asked Artemis.

Jack explained, "I'm exhausted. I used up whatever ADAM I had left in my system on those Splicers back there. It's gonna take me a little while to recharge".

Artemis glanced at Delta who gave her a thumbs down, indicating that he didn't have the plasmid. Artemis sighed "Great"

"_Don't worry about a thing" _said Sinclair "_We used to sell a fine old product called 'incinerate' at the amusement park up yonder. Go on an' find a way in. I already been on all the rides" _the radio went silent.

Wally glanced around and he saw at the far end of the platform a doorway with a large neon sign above it.

The sign read "_Ryan Amusements". _

The speedster frowned "I wonder what a theme park built by Andrew Ryan is like" "Psychotic" guessed Jack "Twisted"

"Probably" said Artemis.

The four passed through the doorway and climbed a long flight of stairs. They went through another door. On the other side, they saw a painting on the wall with a small shrine of candles sitting on the floor beneath the painting. The painting depicted a young woman in white, her face covered by a glowing blue morpho butterfly standing on small patch of land in the middle of a stormy sea. An inscription was made beneath in white letters saying, "_She is our savior"._

Jack and Delta stared at it for a moment then continued on. Artemis and Wally followed.

The four entered a spacious entrance lobby. Benches and trashcans were scattered about, a large mound of rubble sat in the center of the entrance area. Artemis saw that it was the remains of a large clock. Wally walked over to the front doors of the park and he tried to open them but they wouldn't budge.

Wally frowned "It's locked"

"_You need a ticket for the park sport" _said Sinclair "_You'll probably find one in the manager's office or around the park's entrance" _

"On it" said Jack. Delta and Jack went in search of a ticket for the theme park's entrance.

Once the two where gone, Artemis and Wally searched around for any tickets.

As they searched, Artemis found another shrine with a painting. Instead of a young woman, it was a young man. He was dressed in a white suit and black tie. The young man in the painting was standing in the shallows of a grey sea, slowly walking towards the observer of the painting while a violent storm raged on behind him. He was cradling an orb of golden light in the palms of his hands. His face was hidden behind a white, porcelain bird mask.

Inscribed beneath the painting were the words "_He is our light and he shall return"_.

The archer frowned and studied the painting for a few moments. Something about the young man in the painting seems familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. Artemis was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Jack announce, "Got it!"

The archer and the speedster turned and they saw Jack and Delta returning from their search. Jack held up a ticket, made from aged paper.

Sinclair spoke "_Jim Dandy, that'll getcha into the park. But the incinerate plasmid will cost ADAM" _"which we don't have" said Wally.

Sinclair chuckled a little "_Don't worry, I might know where you could find some. I heard whispering of a Little Sister down by the El Dorado lounge. Go see for yourselves."_

Artemis, Jack, Wally and Delta approached the front doors of the park. Jack slipped the ticket into the machine and the doors swung open.

The four entered and they found themselves in a dark room. Suddenly, a spotlight flickered on, followed by some fanfare and some confetti raining down on them. The spotlight shone down on a bronze model of Rapture. In front of the model was a table with a blue bottle.

A recording of Andrew Ryan's voice spoke "_I am Andrew Ryan and welcome to Ryan Amusements. Please, enjoy the park"._

Jack scooped up the blue bottle and inspected it. He read aloud "Gene Tonic"

He shrugged "might be useful" Jack pocketed the gene glanced around and saw two different ways through the park.

Wally chose one way and they moved on.

* * *

As they walked down the corridor, the group passed displays showing how Rapture was founded and built. Some displays also showed some of Rapture's early history. The group left the displays behind and found themselves in a spacious park.

The park had stairs and halls leading to different attractions and shops. Some dim light filtered through from the glass ceiling above. Scattered around the park were some vending machines, trashcans and posters for different products sold by Ryan Industries.

Jack saw a map of the park pinned to a board and he went over.

He studied the map for a moment and he pointed off to the edge of the enclosed park "The El Dorado lounge is this way".

Artemis, Wally, Jack and Delta entered through the lounge's front entrance and passed through a set of doors. On the other side, they found another red wagon with a Gene tonic bottle.

Delta froze and remained frozen for a few moments then went back to normal. The Big Daddy took the Gene Tonic and moved on.

Artemis frowned "What was that about?"

Jack shrugged "I don't know". He glanced down and saw a drawing of Delta holding hands with a girl in white.

The girl looked familiar but Jack couldn't remember where he had seen her. Jack shook his head and carried on.

* * *

The four entered the main lounge. The lounge was a mess. Seawater dripped down from the ceiling, the wood paneled floors were dark and had large holes in them. Light bulbs flickered on and off. Lining the windows were round tables and booths for patrons.

In the distance, they heard a Little Sister talking. The four approached the sounds.

They found the Little Sister and the Big Daddy in the heart of the lounge, by an ornate water fountain that fed clean water into a large pool.

Wally and Artemis recognized that the Little Sister was one of the children that were taken from the surface, only she was dressed in a tattered dress like the rest of the Little Sisters.

Wally whispered at the radio "What's the plan?"

"_That Big Daddy won't bite unless you do" _explained Sinclair "_But to get Lil' Sis, your gotta put the ol' boy down for good". _

Artemis nodded "Ok" she turned to Jack and Wally "Here's what we do-" but before she could explain her plan, Delta charged the Big Daddy and tackled him.

The Little Sister yelped in surprise and jumped away as the two behemoths wrestled each other. Delta shoved the Big Daddy into a wall and he fired a few rivets into his opponent's chest.

The Big Daddy roared and fired back. Delta took the shots and he hurled lightning at the Big Daddy. Once the Big Daddy was stunned, Delta withdrew a large drill and he rammed it into the Big Daddy's chest. The Big Daddy struggled but within seconds, he died.

Artemis, Jack and Wally stared at Delta in surprise. Jack muttered, "Well that works".

The Little Sister sobbed "Mr. B!" she rushed over to the dead Big Daddy and cried.

Sinclair whistled "_Good work. Now take a deep breath and relax." _

"Now what?" asked Artemis.

_"Now let the little one ride Delta's shoulders, she'll trust him like her own daddy" _replied Sinclair.

Delta approached the weeping Little Sister. She looked up at him with teary eyes and she perked up a little "M-Mister Bubbles?" Delta droned and he picked up the little girl then placed her on his shoulder. She giggled and hugged Delta's head saying "I love you ".

Wally frowned "Ok, that's kinda messed up"

"_Never mind that" _said Sinclair "_We're in business now. There are corpses all over Rapture and Lil' Dimples there can sniff out the ADAM on em, find one and collect the ADAM". _

Artemis shivered "This is so wrong" "But we have to do this" said Wally "Once we're done, Jack can cure her and we can send her to Tenenbaum"

"Exactly" said Jack. Jack turned to Delta and asked "Which way?"

Delta droned and the Little Sister pointed towards a door saying "This way Daddy".

Delta lumbered towards the door with Artemis, Jack and Wally following behind.

* * *

The four returned to the main park area where a corpse laid by a Circus of Values vending machine.

The Little Sister smiled "That one" pointing at the corpse.

Sinclair whistled a little "_She's found a juicy one! But once she starts draining out the ADAM, Splicers will come runnin' get ready for anything". _

Jack used his Hack Tool on the vending machine and got some free ammunition for himself, Wally and Artemis. Delta readied his rivet gun. Once they were ready, Delta set the Little Sister down.

The little girl inserted her needle into the corpse and began drawing out ADAM.

Suddenly, Sofia Lamb's voice came on the radio.

She spoke to Delta, Wally and Artemis scornfully "_Those two are children of the family, not some toys for you to exploit and discard. I think it is fitting for you to expire here, Delta and company—a few more forgotten curios for Ryan's shrine to the self." _

Once the radio went silent, Artemis frowned in confusion "Children of the family?"

"I think she means the little sister and Jack" said Wally.

Before they could think over what Sofia was talking about, Sinclair spoke urgently "_Here they come! Keep them away from the lil' sis or they'll never give up the hunt". _

Artemis cocked her weapon and said "Don't worry, we will".

Within seconds, a swarm of Splicers charged in through the nearest door and flooded into the park.

* * *

When the last splicer fell, Delta scooped up the Little Sister and placed her back on his shoulder.

Sinclair sighed in relief and said "_Good work, but I'm afraid that its still not enough" _"Aw man" groaned Wally.

The Little sister pointed towards a door and the group moved out. Through the door, they descended down a long flight of steps. At the bottom was what looked like a ride. There were several carts shaped like bathyspheres all lined up on a single track.

The track leads to a pair of doors with a sign above it saying "_Journey to the Surface". _

Wally cocked an eyebrow "That's interesting". Delta forced open the doors and they climbed up a steep incline.

A female splicer fired a few shots at Delta but the bullets just bounced off of his helmet. He fired a single shot at the Splicer's head and she crumpled to the floor.

Jack patted Delta on the arm "Good shot".

As they followed the track, they passed different displays showing what life on the surface looked like during the 1940's. The first scene showed an automaton of a farmer tilling a field.

A recording of Andrew Ryan narrated "_On the surface, the farmer tills the soil, trading the strength of his arm for a home and lands of his own. But the parasites say "NO! What is yours is ours! We are the state, we are God, and We demand our share." _A giant automaton hand reached down as if it were going to take the farmers crops for its own.

Jack snorted, "The movie was better".

The four continued on down the track and the Little Sister pointed them towards a large hole in one of the scenes.

Delta marched through it, followed by the others. On the other side of the opening, they found themselves in a cart repair station. The Little Sister pointed to the corpse of a man dressed in overalls. Delta set her down and she got to work.

"_Still alive I see?" _said Sofia.

Artemis scowled at the radio "What is up with you lady? Do you hate us or something?"

"_I do not hate you"_ replied Sofia "_Not you, your friend nor Delta. I care for you in equal measure to any other sentient creature. But I will not sacrifice my children for a broken automaton and two invaders. So here is my offer. Give me the little one and Jack, then I will let you return to the surface unharmed"_

"Not a chance lady" growled Wally "Whatever it is you are planning, we're going to stop you and we're going to save those kids you've taken".

There was silence for a few moments then Sofia said icily "_Whatever come next, just remember you impudent child, I offered you both a way out." The radio went silent._

Jack heard some voices in the distance. He went to the opening and he heard more splicers heading their way. Jack muttered, "Here we go again".

* * *

After the Little Sister finished gathering, Sinclair told Delta and the others to find a Little Sister vent down by the workshops.

The group left the repair station and continued down the Journey to the Surface ride. They passed several more displays of the surface with Andrew Ryan narrating each one.

In one, Artemis could've sworn she saw one that had superheroes from a group that was around before Justice League, called the Justice Society. Andrew Ryan scoffed at the so-called heroes and called them puppets to the government's ideals and said that they usually force their idea of justice upon those who couldn't fight back.

They found a narrow hall beneath a cardboard scene and they followed it to the end. Sinclair said "_Good job. Now cure her like Tenenbaum wants and you'll get just enough ADAM. Or, you could go the other route..."_

"No" said Jack firmly "We're not doing that"

Sinclair sighed "_Don't worry, I was only putting all your options on the table. Besides, I'm an honest businessman, not a killer. I would never do something to harm a child, unlike Fontaine or Ryan" _

The group descended down some more stairs to a basement where they found a vent. Jack went to cure the little girl but Delta stopped him. The Big Daddy knelt down and he cured the little sister. The girl thanked Delta and she crawled into the vent.

Sinclair chuckled a little "_It seems our tin man has a heart. Now that you have enough ADAM, you can get Incinerate from Hall of the future. After that, we can finally resume our journey" _

Artemis sighed "Finally, I'm getting sick of this amusement park"

"_You aren't the first person to say that" _said Sinclair "_Nor are you the last"._

* * *

In the Hall of the Future, the group walked past some displays of future construction plans for Rapture.

They passed some manniquens standing by a window and they finally reached a Gatherer's Garden vending machine. Delta selected the Incinerate plasmid and he injected himself with it. He flexed his fingers and he growled deeply.

The radio came to life and Sofia Lamb spoke softly "_So you would drain the people of their life's blood. Rapture is a body, Delta. I am the voice…and Big Sister is the hand. When Rapture speaks of you three marauders, it says only this. Sleep now, your day is done". _The radio went dead.

Jack chuckled a little. Artemis looked at him curiously "What's so funny?"

"I can't believe I'm going to say this" said Jack "But I'm starting to feel left out".

Wally frowned and wondered aloud "What did she mean Big Sister is the hand?" Before anyone could speak, a familiar high-pitched shriek echoed through the halls of the Hall of the Future. Glass picture frames shattered, television screens exploded and light bulbs popped.

Jack, Wally and Artemis covered their ears until the shriek finally died down.

The speedster mumbled "Oh, right. Her"

"Lets get out of here" said Artemis. The four rushed back towards the door that led to the main park entrance but before they could open the door, the door was flung out of its place and crumpled into a ball by an invisible force.

Standing several yards away was the Big Sister. She snarled and gestured. The crumpled door was flung aside like nothing.

Jack, Artemis, Wally and Delta came to an abrupt halt.

Wally breathed, "That's bad" the Big Sister let out a loud shriek and attacked.

Delta pushed past Artemis, Wally and Jack and engaged the Big Sister.

Delta unleashed a barrage of rivets; the Big Sister cart wheeled aside and scurried up a pillar. She crawled up along the roof like a spider and hurled fireballs at Delta. Delta swatted a few aside with his hand and caught the rest with telekinesis. He chucked them back at the Big Sister who just leapt away.

The Big Sister landed on a bench and growled at Delta. She stretched out her hand and used her telekinesis.

Suddenly, Jack felt himself pulled off his feet and he found himself in the Big Sister's grasp.

The Big Sister wrapped her arms around Jack and she launched herself into the air. Jack kicked and he tried to break free using his lightning but the Big Sister wouldn't let go.

Delta roared and chased after them. Artemis and Wally hurried after Delta.

The Big Sister landed on a vending machine, crushing it like soda can. She then took off running for a nearby exit with Jack.

Before they reached the exit, there was a loud bang and the Big Sister dropped Jack.

Jack tumbled and he looked up. He saw Delta rushing after them and he saw that Delta fired a shot that struck the Big Sister in the shoulder. The Big Sister hissed in pain and tried to go back for Jack but Delta roared and threw up a wall of fire between her and Jack.

Jack watched as the Big Sister look from him then to Delta. She screamed at Delta then retreated through the exit.

Once she was gone, Delta extinguished the fire and he helped Jack to his feet. Jack thanked Delta and looked towards the door where the Big Sister escaped through. Artemis and Wally finally caught up. Artemis asked, sounding a little winded "Are you ok?"

"Yeah" said Jack, nodding slowly.

Sinclair spoke, sounding surprise "_Holy Moses son, that was close. Good thing you got Delta with ya, not even a Big Sister can keep him down. Well, come on back and melt the ice, an' then we can say goodbye to this two bit corny ride". _

Jack sighed in exhaustion saying "Just a typical day in Rapture".

The four scavenged for ammunition then departed Ryan Amusements.

* * *

Back at the station, Delta melted the ice and Sinclair told Delta to open the doors from security booth.

Delta complied and they heard footsteps approaching the platform. Artemis, Wally, Jack and Delta saw a dark haired man in his late forties approach them.

The man wore white shirt, grey pants with suspenders shiny black shoes and a red necktie. The man smiled "Good work, I think we're going to be going places".

He extended a hand "Augustus Sinclair, nice to finally meet you all in person". Artemis and Wally shook the businessman's hand.

When Sinclair got to Jack he pulled him into a hug saying "Good to see ya again kid". He broke off the embrace and smiled "You've sure grown since the last time I've seen you"

"Thanks" said Jack.

Sinclair looked up to Delta and said "Nice to meet you" Delta droned and Sinclair clapped his hands together "Right, now lets get moving"

But before they could board the train, Sofia's voice spoke over the radio "_I had thought you some golem of Sinclair's brought here to hold Rapture's arms while he rifles through her pockets. But no…you are aware of your plight. Who, I wonder, would be so cruel? To force a mirror on a man with no face…" _

A pair of Splicers dropped down from the ceiling and landed on top of the train.

Sinclair's eyes widened "Lamb was waiting for us" he turned to the others "Hold them off while I start the train"

"Got it" said Artemis.

Artemis, Wally, Jack and Delta engaged the Splicers. Delta shot down the two Splicers from the top of the train car. Several more Splicers emerged from Ryan Amusements and tried to attack Delta from behind but Jack knocked them back with telekinesis.

Wally and Artemis managed to drive back a few with a few shots but more and more Splicers began to arrive.

Sinclair poked his head out of the train car and shouted "Come on!"

Artemis, Wally, Jack and Delta rushed onto the train. Sinclair flipped the switch and the doors sealed up before the Splicers could reach them. The train car moved and it sank beneath the dark, murky seawater, carrying them away.

Jack collapsed in one of the seats panting "That was close"

"You're telling me" said Wally.

Sinclair turned to the four and grinned "Nice shootin' kids" his grin slowly faded "But I'm afraid from here on out, things will get a little dicey".

* * *

Meanwhile, the Big Sister entered Sofia's Lambs office, her shoulder was bleeding and she was furious.

Sofia approached the Big Sister asking, "What's wrong my child?"

The Big Sister snarled and made sounds. Sofia frowned "I see. So it was Delta again"

She placed a comforting hand on the Big Sister's uninjured shoulder saying soothingly "Don't worry, you will have your chance. When you do, your big brother will finally join our family. He will be the light that will bring our family together and your big sister will lead the family to Utopia".

End of chapter

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**(a/n: So what do you think? Please review!)**


	5. Ch 5: Grace

**(a/n: Enjoy and please review!)**

* * *

Ch.5: Grace

The train lumbered down the tracks, carrying Delta, Jack, Sinclair, Wally and Artemis to their destination.

As the train carried them along the track, Wally asked Sinclair about Sofia Lamb. "Who was she?" asked the speedster "And why is she out to kill us?"

Sinclair explained, "Sofia was a doctor, a psychologist to be precise. She was brought to Rapture to help the people deal with life down here in the deep dark ocean. When Rapture hit hard times, she began to slowly instill her crazy ideas into her patients."

"What ideas?" asked Artemis.

Sinclair shrugged "Something about unity. Anyway, she gained support with the poor and the lower working class. Eventually she gained a following that Andrew Ryan didn't like. He tried to publicly discredit her in public debates but that only strengthened her following. Eventually, Ryan had me plant a spy in Sofia's camp to keep an eye on her"

"What happened?" asked Jack.

Sinclair shook his head "The spy found something on Sofia and Ryan had her arrested. But she quickly gained a following among the prisoners in Persephone. She could've taken the city but she decided to wait and let Atlas and Ryan kill each other. But now that they're both dead, Sofia is free to run amok and do as she pleases"

"Our bad" apologized Jack.

Sinclair smiled a little than said, "Say what you will about Andrew Ryan but that tyrant is sane compared to Lamb. Sofia Lamb is far worse than Ryan ever was".

Everyone in the train car shivered a little. A person far worse than Andrew Ryan was pretty hard to picture.

The train slowly climbed an incline and crawled out of the seawater. It followed a track towards the next door but suddenly it came to a halt at a grimy, dimly lit station. Sinclair looked out the window and frowned "What in the world?"

Sofia Lamb's voice boomed over the loudspeakers "_Attention, Subject Delta and his band of miscreants are now trapped in Pauper's Drop. All railcar travel is suspended until they are found. Remember, our enemy is few and we are the Family, we are many."_

Sinclair groaned "Oh no…" "What is it?" asked Wally.

Sinclair turned to Wally "Lamb's tryin' to box us in. This is a goddamn city wide lockdown"

"What do we do?" asked Artemis.

Sinclair paused and he thought for a moment. After a few moments of silence, Sinclair said "To get the train movin' we're going to need to get the security override key from the local governor…Grace Holloway". He then mumbled "She kicked me outta my own hotel, The Sinclair Deluxe" he looked up the other saying "You'll find her there. Go and get that key"

"We're on it" said Artemis.

Artemis, Jack, Wally and Delta disembarked the train. Sinclair stayed with the train and tried to see if he could get the train back up and running.

The four passed through the station and passed through a door.

On the other side of the door, they saw a little sister's vent where several splicers sat around it, placing candles around it. A banner hung above the vent saying "_Give yourselves unto her"._

The Splicer's bowed their heads towards the vent in worship.

Wally muttered, "Now there's something you don't see every day". The Splicers all turned and they saw the four standing there.

Artemis sighed "Great".

The Splicers snarled at them then attacked.

* * *

After defeating the Splicers, the four carried on and entered an enormous area that looked like a small city enclosed in glass and steel.

Scattered around were restaurants, shops and apartment buildings. Jack frowned "I remember this place"

"You do?" said Wally in surprise, glancing at Jack.

Jack nodded "Yeah, this place was my old neighborhood. Mom and I lived here for a few years before I was sent to the surface".

Artemis glanced around the empty buildings and said "No offense, but this place is a dump" "Hence the name, Pauper's drop" said Jack.

Wally spotted Sinclair Deluxe and they made their way over to the hotel. They passed through the lobby and made their way to the stairs but suddenly a new voice came on over the loudspeaker.

The voice was female and sounded old and bitter "_I remember you monster. You stole Eleanor from me…twisted that baby girl into a thing that was so sick that it can't even die. And now you come waltzing into my neighborhood looking for me? Wrong turn, tin daddy"._

Jack frowned a little "I know that voice". He thought for a moment then he remembered. It was Grace Holloway.

Grace growled "_When we hang you from a streetlight and you're choking out your last, I want you to remember my face…"_

"Geez" muttered Artemis as she turned to Delta "What did you do to piss her off?" Delta shrugged.

They heard a deep, growling voice snarl "Grace says, piss off you tin shithouse" there was a loud boom followed by a cloud of dust and a rain of debris. Once the cloud of dust vanished, Artemis and the others saw that their way up was blocked.

Sinclair spoke over the radio "_I suppose Grace is home. But that big lug just dropped half my damn hotel in your way. You need a genetic research camera" _

"Why?" asked Artemis. Sinclair answered, "_You could learn a few things from that Splicer. Maybe that could help you get to Grace" _

"I got a camera" said Jack, withdrawing his research camera from his pocket. Wally saw that it was the same camera from their first visit to Rapture.

Sinclair said, "_You'll need a new one kid. This new one is like a film camera. You can find one in the pawnshop downtown"_

"Ok then" said Wally "Downtown it is". The four departed Sinclair Deluxe and went in search of the pawnshop.

After several minutes, they cured a Little Sister they encountered and they managed to break into the pawnshop where they found the camera.

Sinclair spoke as Delta studied the camera in his hands "_That thing's a miracle in Technicolor. It works like a film camera, just roll the film before you fight a splicer and anything you hit him with will tell you more about his DNA."_

He explained "_These things will spit out a prize once and a while but if you capture one of those big brutes on film, than Delta will be able to brush past the debris like nothing"._

Delta droned and the four went in search of the brute splicer.

* * *

The four searched high and low in Pauper's Drop. They passed by old rundown stores and homes.

They waded through small flooded sections where pipes dripped ocean water. As they passed through a small, grimy market place, they heard a deep voice growling something up ahead.

Carefully, they approached the source of the voice. The four ducked behind cover and they saw a large, muscular Splicer staring out of a wide window.

Sinclair whispered, "_There's one of them goons. Roll the camera and let him have it". _

Delta droned a little then handed the camera to Jack. Jack took the camera and switched it on.

Jack gave Delta a thumbs up and the Big Daddy attacked the Splicer with Artemis and Wally providing cover fire. The Splicer wrestled with Delta for a bit, growling and punching at the Big Daddy. The Splicer managed to shove Delta back and he charged at the Big Daddy.

Delta armed himself with his drill and rammed it into the Splicer's chest. The Splicer winced in pain then crumpled to the ground.

Delta turned back at Jack and Jack said, "Got it".

Sinclair commended Delta "_Nice work sport. Now get back to the Sinclair Deluxe and you can push right on through". _

Artemis, Wally, Jack and Delta started making their way back to the Sinclair Deluxe.

On the way back, Sofia Lamb spoke "_For Grace, the paradise of Andrew Ryan was most unkind…she spoke out against him in song and he had her blacklisted. It left her penniless" _

"Sounds like dad" muttered Jack.

Sofia continued "_But in the Family, she has found hope a reason to draw breath. Ask yourself Delta, do you deserve to take it from her?" _the radio went silent.

* * *

When they reached Sinclair Deluxe, Delta smashed through the wall of debris with his drill and they found the main stairs that led up to the upper floors. Jack looked down and saw scrawled on the floor were the words "_Baby Snatcher" _in black letters.

Sinclair told them "_Grace lived up on the top floor. Go up there and try and get her to give you the key". _

Delta droned and he began marching up the stairs.

Artemis, Wally and Jack followed. As they climbed up the stairs, the four fought their way through waves of Splicers. They crisscrossed through dimly lit halls, climbed over walls of sandbags and fought their way up more stairs.

Grace growled over the loudspeaker "_Tin daddy is heading up stairs. He wants me to get to Eleanor. Tin daddy feels no pain but we are the family and we will show him how!"_

As they got higher and deeper into the hotel, the Splicers fought harder and they swarmed the four relentlessly.

Artemis panted "Just how many more are there?"

Wally shrugged "Who knows".

Grace spoke to Delta on the radio "_Blood makes us strangers, monster. But we are all family. We are one people, one cause. You may stop this old heart, this old body but you can't end the family. But as for you, tin daddy, you and your topside friends will die alone". _

Jack frowned "What am I, chopped liver?"

On one of the upper floors, Delta battled another brutish Splicer. After ramming his drill through the Splicer's heart, Delta chucked the Splicer's corpse aside and they pressed on.

Artemis, Jack, Wally and Delta climbed a steep incline made from the floor of a room above, which led them to the top floor of Sinclair Deluxe.

Sinclair spoke softly "_Grace's room is just ahead. Now she's been sendin' all manner o' unkindness your way, so I'm not sure how you're going to get the key from her. But she's old and this grudge was based on an misunderstandin'."_

Delta and the others walked on.

* * *

They reached a door at the end of the hall. Delta opened it and inside, they found a modest sized apartment.

There was a descent-sized living room. Off to the side, Jack saw an open doorway. He carefully approached it.

Inside, he saw a small room with pink walls, a bed, and drawings of butterflies scattered around the floor. Jack spotted something on the bed. He walked over to it and he picked it up. It was a small, yellowed photograph.

In the photo, there was a little girl in a white dress and a little boy in brown. Jack noticed some shops behind them. He recognized that the photo had been taken in Fort Frolic before Rapture fell into ruin.

Jack also recognized the boy. It was Jack, when he was younger.

Then it hit him. The girl in the photo was Eleanor.

Jack heard Grace's voice echo around the apartment "_We both die tonight monster I, because it is your nature to kill. You, because the family won't let you leave with that key." _

Jack placed the photo back on the bed and left to join the others in the main living room.

The four cautiously made their way through the apartment. They passed through a messy bedroom.

Artemis noticed a tape recorder on the bed. She picked it up and pressed play.

Grace spoke, her voice sounded melancholy "_Empty house. Only an echo to my name. Eleanor, baby... where are you? I turned my back, and someone took you - it happened so quick. I'm not even a half-momma to you, girl. I couldn't protect you... This poster of Doctor Lamb in my room is staring me down like it knows I'm ashamed... I've always been loyal to your real mother, Eleanor... always trusted her with my secrets. But I lost you - what will the Doctor think of me now?" _

Artemis glanced over at the wall and saw a poster of Sofia Lamb. Sofia stared icily at the archer. The archer shivered and muttered "Creepy".

Delta spotted something sticking out of the poster. The big daddy tore the poster apart and found a button on the wall. He pressed it and a bookcase slid aside, revealing a hidden passage. Jack glanced into the passage then to Delta "After you".

Delta entered the passage first, followed by Wally, then Artemis and finally Jack. At the end of the passage, Delta found a door with a window. He wiped away dirt and grime, revealing a small room. In the room, sat Grace Holloway governor of Pauper's Drop. Grace was dressed in a plain orange dress and she was smoking a cigarette.

Grace regarded Delta coldly and said, "_I know what you're here for. Go on and take it. I won't have you touchin' me". _

Artemis asked, "Why do you hate Delta so much? He hasn't been doing anything bad"

Grace sighed, she placed her cigarette into an ashtray and she got up.

She walked to the window and looked Delta in the eyes saying "_Doctor Lamb trusted me to take care of her child…but baby Eleanor disappeared. Then one day, I see her walking with him" _she jabbed a finger at Delta "_Lookin' wrong and when I tried to hold her, he knocked me down. Broke my jaw" _

Jack winced "ow".

Grace glared at Delta "_So I'm ready baby snatcher, come on in and finish the job". _The door slowly slid open.

Delta marched inside, Wally, Artemis and Jack followed.

Grace glared at Delta and she glanced at Artemis, Wally then Jack. She turned her gaze back to Delta. Delta stared back at Grace. They stared at each other for a few tense moments. Finally, Delta grabbed the key off the table and he left the room without a word. Grace watched as the Big Daddy left.

She looked utterly surprised.

Jack, Wally and Artemis hurried after him. As they left, they heard Grace growl "To hell with you then!"

Sinclair spoke to Delta "_You're a bigger man than I am chief. Maybe this will teach Grace to not to point fingers until she has all the facts. Now, come on back and we'll be on our way"._

* * *

Slowly, the four began making their way down to the ground floor.

As they descended to the lower levels, Grace spoke on the radio "_You had me under a gun, yet you walked away? No monster alive turns the other cheek. No monster does that. A thinking man does that"_

"He's just full of surprises" said Jack.

Grace chuckled a little then said, "_I know that Doctor Lamb is no liar but maybe she's wrong about you. It doesn't seem right now, letting you walk into that bush whack waiting outside." _The four froze.

Artemis asked "An Ambush?"

"_Yes"_-answered Grace. She continued,_ "I can't call off the Family. But I can whisper a bit and improve your odds". _

Delta, Jack, Artemis and Wally reached the lobby.

When they were about to leave, a pair of security bots hovered appeared in the lobby. Grace told them "_These two are custom jobs from a friend. They're not much but its all I can do for now"_

"Thanks for the help" said Artemis. The four left the hotel.

* * *

When they left the lobby, they encountered an ambush but there were fewer Splicers than they expected.

Delta and the others fought their way through Pauper's Drop and they made their way back to the station. As they passed the shrine at the Little Sister's vent,

Grace spoke "_Well sir-I don't know what to call you now. You've done more than spare my life. You've opened my eyes. I might put in a few questions to Doctor Lamb"_

"That sounds good" said Wally.

At the station, they found Sinclair waiting at the security booth, trying to get the doors open.

When he saw them, he smiled saying, "Got the key?"

Delta handed Sinclair the key. Sinclair accepted the key and he got to work, trying to open the doors with the key.

As Sinclair worked on the doors, Sofia spoke on the radio. Her voice was venomous "_By sparing Grace, do you seek to gain my trust? A feeble ruse" _

"What ruse?" said Artemis "there isn't any ruse"

Sofia ignored Artemis and continued "_Your crocodile tears may have poisoned her with doubt but I am not so easy a mark". _The radio went silent.

Artemis looked to Wally saying, "This lady is crazy" "Tell me about it" muttered Sinclair.

After several minutes of tinkering, Sinclair got the key to open the door. He rubbed his hands together saying, "Now we're cooking"

The five boarded the train and the train took off, carrying them onward.

* * *

Back at the Sinclair Deluxe, Grace left her private office and went to Eleanor's old room. She sat down on the bed and sighed deeply.

Sofia Lamb was a good friend and she would do anything for her but something didn't sit right with Grace.

Grace looked down at an old photo that sat on the bed. She picked it up and she saw Eleanor when she was a still a child. Before her disappearance and her transformation into a Little Sister.

Next to her was a little boy. Grace remembered him. Eleanor met him at Fort Frolic, when she got lost. She later met him again somewhere else in Pauper's Drop. They became good friends until he mysteriously vanished.

Grace remembered something that Sofia said to her. Something about a young man returning home to Rapture. She thought for a moment about who it was but the only people she could think of where those three newcomers that accompanied Delta.

Grace obviously knew it wasn't the girl and she knew that the red head wasn't either. Something about them screamed topsiders.

But the third, the young man in the grey suit, he was most likely whom Lamb was referring to. There was something about him that was common with everyone in Rapture.

Not only that, he looked very familiar. At first, she thought he was the ghost of a young Andrew Ryan come back to haunt her but when she looked again, he was different then Ryan.

Grace looked down at the picture than she realized that the boy in the photo was the young man who was with Delta.

Her eyes widened in horror. They were on the train heading to Siren Alley. Grace knew what laid in wait for them. Delta and the others were walking into a hornet's nest of trouble.

End of Chapter.

* * *

**(a/n: I hoped you enjoyed this. Please review!)**


	6. Ch 6: Big Trouble in Siren Alley

**(a/n: Please enjoy and review!)**

* * *

Ch. 6: Big Trouble in Siren Alley

The Atlantic train raced down the track, carrying Jack, Delta, Sinclair, Artemis and Wally along to their next destination.

The train passed by towering plants that grew from the ocean floor. Illuminating the darkness ahead was a single spotlight on the train. As the train raced down the track, Sinclair was talking with Jack in the rear half of the train.

Artemis and Wally sat across from Sinclair and Jack. They were cleaning their weapons while listening to Sinclair's stories about Rapture.

Delta was in the front, keeping an eye on the controls. For the most part, it was smooth sailing. But suddenly a voice came on the radio.

The voice was male and sounded old. The man growled "_O ye who would murder the lamb of God, ye shall not reach her garden!" _.

Sinclair's eyes widened in shock "I know that voice".

The group heard a deep buzzing sound and a large shape came hurtling towards them. Sinclair shouted "Get down!"

Artemis, Wally and Jack hit the floor but Delta turned towards the sound, only to see it explode in a bright flash of light. The entire train rocked and there was a loud hissing sound. Sinclair hit a switch and a metal wall slid in between the two halves of the train. The front half of the train quickly became flooded with seawater and then broke off, dragging Delta down to the seafloor.

Water dripped down the metal wall but they were safe for the moment. Sinclair sighed in relief "That was close"

"What was that?" said Artemis looking a little shook up.

The businessman's expression turned grim "From the sound of that voice and that warm greeting, I'm going to say that was Father Wales"

"Who's he?" asked Wally.

Sinclair explained "He was one of the men who designed this city. When Rapture hit hard times, his business went under. He was one of Lambs patients and one of her most devoted followers".

Jack looked out the window and searched the dark ocean floor for the front half of the train "Where's Delta?"

"Down there, somewhere" said Sinclair "It'll take more than that to finish a Big Daddy"

"What do we do now?" asked Wally "The front half is gone along with the controls"

"Not exactly" said Sinclair. He pointed to a small box on the wall. Sinclair opened the box revealing a secondary set of control switches and buttons. The businessman grinned, "Luckily Ryan thought of these sort of situations and installed these". Sinclair hit a switch.

The train shuddered and resumed its journey down the track.

Sinclair said to the others, "We won't make our destination with this limited air supply. Unfortunately we're going to have to make a pit stop in Siren Alley and hope to find a way forward".

Jack frowned "Unfortunately?"

"Father Wales rules Siren Alley" said Sinclair grimly.

* * *

Delta awoke and he pushed through the wreckage of the train. He looked up and saw the train car was still going.

The Big Daddy saw movement and lights coming from the window of the train. He felt relieved to know that his friends were alive.

Delta watched as the train moved down the track and followed a turn into a nearby station that was in Siren Alley.

Delta decided to meet them there. The Big Daddy turned and he lumbered towards a nearby airlock.

As he approached the airlock for Siren Alley, he heard Sofia speaking to him on his radio "_I see that Father Wales has separated you from your craft and accomplices. And you still cling to life" _she chuckled a little "_Congratulations, Delta. Today you meet a man who has no fear of death. And for Eleanor…he would burn with a smile". _

Delta entered the airlock and the water drained away.

Once the water was all gone, Delta entered Siren Alley.

* * *

Sinclair, Jack, Wally and Artemis found Delta.

After the train came to a halt at the station, they vacated the ruined train. Sinclair told them that their next destination, Dionysus Park, was currently flooded.

He explained that there was a pumping station in Siren Alley and to get to Dionysus Park, they would need to get to the pumping station to drain the park. The four left the station and made their way into Siren Alley where they met Delta.

Once they were reunited, the group went in search of the pumping station but they ducked for cover when a rocket went sailing over head and exploding on impact with a low hanging sign.

Jack peeked out from behind cover and saw a trio of Splicers attacking a Big Daddy. The little sister was hiding behind a trashcan, watching the battle and cheering on her protector.

Delta stepped into the battle and slain two of the Splicers while the other Big Daddy blasted the last one with his rocket launcher.

Delta killed the Big Daddy and cured the Little Sister. Once they were dealt with, Sinclair led them through Siren Alley.

Siren Alley was ritzy compared to most of Rapture. Even though most of the city had sea life growing, Siren Alley was almost devoid of any sea life.

They walked down an avenue that ran between two, towering buildings that had multiple levels where shops, hotels and apartments were. There were several other avenues leading to other buildings in Siren Alley. Artemis saw catwalks connecting both buildings together.

Sinclair said aloud "This place used to be quite a hotspot. Then Rapture hit hard times. After that, this place became a red light district. After that it went to the dogs". He shook his head slowly "Such a shame".

Sinclair led the group through a door, which led to a maintenance area. On the other side of the door, there was a small red wagon with a red plasmid bottle. Delta picked it up and he went ridged.

Sinclair frowned "What's going on?"

"I think Eleanor's talking with him" said Jack.

Sinclair glanced to Jack "Pardon?" Jack explained the girl he saw and what she told him and Delta.

Sinclair nodded a little "That does sound like Eleanor" he glanced at Delta "And it does make sense, considering that Eleanor was once a little sister"

"What do you mean?" asked Artemis.

Sinclair explained, "Little Sisters and Big Daddies share a bond of sorts that make them inseparable. Delta and Eleanor have a special bond. Now I don't know much about it, but I know that Delta was able to sense Eleanor's thoughts. She could be communicating to her old friend now"

"But how can Jack hear what she's saying?" asked Artemis.

Sinclair shrugged "Your guess is as good as mine".

Delta injected himself with the plasmid and the group continued on into the maintenance area. The maintenance area was spacious. The floor was flooded with seawater and there was a set of stair's that led up to an upper floor. Jack and Delta climbed the stairs and found a locked gate and a door with a number lock.

Artemis scowled at the door "How do we get in?"

"We find the code I'm afraid," said Sinclair. Wally noticed a tape recorder on the floor by a small collection of candles.

The speedster picked it up and pressed play. The voice of Father Wales spoke, sounding rather melancholy "_Daniel... you and I drafted Rapture's blueprint together... 'Wales and Wales, Architects.' Do you remember? But Andrew Ryan led us astray, my brother... turned us from the Almighty. Doctor Lamb offers you salvation, Daniel. I ask only for proof that the barest flicker of faith remains in you. I left a gift for you at the Pink Pearl, in your... offices. Find the code on it, brother, and we shall pray together for your sorry soul."_

Jack nodded slowly "The Pink Pearl, that's a start"

"Go find that code" said Sinclair "But be careful, there are whispers that Daniel is still lurking about the Pink Pearl. They also say that he's as twisted as his brother."

"Got it" said Jack, nodding.

Jack descended the stairs with Delta following closely behind.

Artemis and Wally looked to Sinclair "What do we do?"

"Lets take a look around" said Sinclair "And see what kind of toys are lying around". The archer and the speedster nodded.

The trio left and went to search through Siren Alley.

* * *

Jack and Delta found the Pink Pearl at the far end of Siren Alley.

As they approached the boarded up entrance, they heard Grace speak on the radio "_I've got this maddening notion that I owe you my life stranger…such as it is. I'm sending you something in the Pneumo. I appreciate that you don't tell Doctor Lamb"_

"Our lips are sealed" said Jack.

Delta searched through the tube that sat outside the Pink Pearl and found some ammunition, a first aid kit and some Eve Hypo.

The two pocketed the items Grace sent them and they entered the Pink Pearl.

* * *

Sinclair, Artemis and Wally were strolling down a narrow lane carefully searching through some over turned trashcans and wounding Splicers who attacked.

Artemis's radio came on and she heard Jack speak "_Ok, we're here"_

the archer handed the radio to Sinclair and the businessman said, "Good, now Daniel's office was on the top floor. Head up there now"

"_On it" _said Jack. For a few moments there was silence then they heard Jack mutter, "_This place is fancy" _

"It was" said Sinclair "The Pearl was one of the ritziest lodgings in Rapture. But during the war between Atlas and Ryan, the residents put themselves up for sale."

Artemis grimaced. They heard some clattering and Jack muttering, "_Man, t__his place smells like a_ _dump_".

Suddenly there was a gunshot on the radio followed by shouting. Jack grunted "_Call you later" _there were more shots then radio silence.

Sinclair handed Artemis the radio. The trio continued down the lane.

After several minutes, Wally stumbled upon something that made his eyes almost pop out of his skull. He ran back down the lane to the small convenience store where Artemis and Sinclair were scavenging for food.

The speedster stammered, "Y-You guys gotta see this". Artemis and Sinclair shared a confused look and they followed after the speedster.

Wally led them down to the end of the lane and around a corner, into an alley.

At the end of the alley was a shrine. There were hundreds of candles illuminating the alley. Hanging on the walls were several paintings. Artemis approached the paintings to get a better look. Her eyes widened in shock.

The painting she was inspecting was of the plane crash that brought her, Wally and Jack to Rapture in the first place.

Artemis moved on to another painting. The second painting was of Jack, standing over a bloody and beaten Andrew Ryan. Andrew Ryan looked like a twisted demonic version of himself while Jack looked angelic.

Artemis looked at the third painting. It showed Jack, Wally and she battling Fontaine. Fontaine was bronze and muscular, Jack still looked angelic but Wally and Artemis looked rather plain and uninteresting.

The fourth painting showed Dr. Steinman standing at an altar of sorts with a mangled body laying on it. The mad doctor's hands were raised to the sky where three horribly mutilated bodies hung by chains.

Finally, Artemis came to the final portrait. It showed Jack and a dark haired girl, standing together on a peaceful beach. They were both dressed in white. Jack held a white, porcelain bird mask in one hand, and the girl held a blue butterfly mask in hers.

The two held hands with their free hands. A golden sun shone down on them both. They had serene expressions on their faces. A small inscription was made beneath the painting. The inscription read, "_They are our salvation". _

Artemis glanced at Sinclair and asked, "What is this?"

"A shrine I suppose" said Sinclair, sounding unsure "I heard Father Wales had a few shrines down here for Eleanor but I never figured that he added Jack to this madness"

"What are these shrines for?" asked Wally as he inspected the painting of Andrew Ryan's death.

Sinclair shook his head "I'm not sure. I heard that Father Wales turned Lamb's ideals into a extreme cult to bring in more followers for her but I never figured that it would be this extreme"

"So they believe Jack and this girl Eleanor to be gods?" asked Wally.

Sinclair nodded "Maybe". He saw a tape recorder on the ground by one of the paintings. The businessman picked it up and pressed play.

Father Wales voice spoke "_Lord... what more do ye wish of me? Your wretch of a servant waits for word... I have followed the letter of the Holy Mother Lamb, though she will not tell me of the day of your return. I watched as ye smote down the false Father, Andrew Ryan - who tempted us away from your radiant graze. But ye would not speak to me, Lord! I have built for ye this great temple and gathered your flock, yet still you are silent. Will ye not strike me poor brother blind so he may at last behold your glory, as was done to Paul on the road to Damascus? I am alone, Lord. Alone... and waiting for a sign."_

Sinclair paused the tape and looked up at the two heroes. Artemis and Wally both looked rather shocked. Wally was the first to speak "This guy is nuts"

"He is" admitted Sinclair "But, Lamb was the one who turned him onto this whole 'Father' thing. He was a brilliant architect when I knew him but after his visit to Lamb, he was a changed man".

Artemis shivered "This Lamb lady is starting to creep me out".

Sinclair glanced down at the tape recorder and muttered, "There's more". He pressed play and Father Wales spoke, sounding more upbeat "_Mother Lamb has told me that you have returned to us Lord. My prayers have finally been answered! With thy guiding light Mother Lamb shall raise the people of Rapture from the depths of darkness and we shall be have Paradise as she promised!"_ the tape ended.

Artemis frowned and muttered "Guiding light"

"What're you thinking about?" asked Sinclair.

The archer explained, "Ever since we got here, Lamb has been gunning for Jack. I think that whatever she has planning, it won't work without Jack"

"We should keep a closer eye on him then" said Sinclair.

Artemis nodded "Right". They turned to leave but Wally told them "Wait, you got to see this"

The two turned and they saw Wally pointing to the corner of the painting of Jack and Eleanor. Artemis went over to the painting and squinted.

In the corner of the painting, the artist signed his name in small letters. The name made Artemis's heart skip a beat.

The name of the artist was Sander Cohen.

* * *

Artemis, Wally and Sinclair returned to the maintenance area where they found Jack and Delta. Jack was covered in blood splatters and cuts.

Jack explained that they had a run in with Daniel Wales. Daniel was elusive and hard to catch but eventually Delta killed Daniel and Jack found the code on the desk in Daniel's office. They went to the door and Jack began entering the code.

Once the code was in, the door began to slide open just a little then froze abruptly. Suddenly sparks began to shower from nearby consoles and the lights flickered then died.

Red emergency lights blinked on and bathed the room in a faint red glow.

Sinclair cursed and said "They cut the power, we're stuck until the back ups kick in".

Father Wales voice came on the radio, he growled, "_Know this beast, Daniel's body may go cold but his soul rests with the child of the Lamb. You shall roast and blacken in the pit and it'll be a grieving brother who sent you!" _the radio went silent.

The group heard Splicers shouting and clamoring their way. Jack muttered, "That's not good"

"We got to get that door open" said Artemis

Sinclair shrugged "We're going to have to wait for the backups".

Artemis, Jack, Wally and Delta readied their weapons and when the Splicers spilled into the maintenance room's entrance, they fired upon them.

* * *

For several minutes the four held off the Splicers and Sinclair kept an eye on the door. Once the auxiliary power came on, the door slid open enough for them to enter.

Sinclair waved them over and they all rushed through. On the other side, Jack slammed the door shut so the Splicers couldn't follow.

Sinclair wiped away some sweat saying "Nice shootin' now lets get over to Pumping Station five and get this over with".

The group made their way through an enormous plaza similar to the one they were in before. Delta, Jack, Artemis and Wally cleared a path towards the pumping station by wounding or driving away any Splicer that got in their way.

Sinclair directed them toward a few rooms filled with heavy machinery and through doors that led to the pumping stations.

Jack told them to go on without him and he explained that he saw a Little Sister skipping around at Joe's Green Groceries alone and he wanted to cure her before the Splicers get to her.

Artemis and Wally nodded and told him to be careful.

Jack doubled back to the Plaza Hedone where they came from. Unbeknownst to Jack, a Big Sister was hiding on one of the catwalks above, watching him go out on his own. The Big Sister cocked her head and stalked after Jack.

* * *

As Artemis, Sinclair, Wally and Delta got closer to Pumping Station five, they heard Father Wales speak loudly.

Father Wales boomed "Each of you know the child of the Lamb, with ADAM our souls will pass into her very blood and we shall be reborn in a single body"

Artemis winced "That's gross" "Tell me about it" muttered Wally.

The four descended down some stairs and marched on toward the pumping station as Father Wales' voice echoed around the hall.

Father Wales continued, "But the Beast is upon us children. It has a hide of iron, its hands are Death and Change. It walks with a silver tongued thief and two vicious demons from the surface. The beast has hidden our guiding light from us. He who struck down the False Father, they took him and hid him away from us so that we may forever be lost to darkness. Now they have come to seize the child from us and with her, Paradise itself!"

The group reached a door and they opened it. On the other side was the pumping station. The pumping station was huge and it was converted to by Wales to be a chapel of sorts, one floor below them where rows of benches for his congregation and the entire station was illuminated by thousands of candles.

On the far end of the station, there was a painting of Eleanor. Standing in front of it was Father Wales himself.

He was dressed in black, like a priest and a wide brimmed hat. With him were at least a dozen Splicers. Father Wale's eyes locked on Delta and he bellowed, "Be ye soldier of the ground or angel of the sky, ye must hold fast and send these beasts howling back to Hell!"

The Splicers hissed at Delta and the others. Father Wales jabbed a crooked finger at them and screamed, "Attack!"

* * *

At Joe's Green Groceries, Jack cured the Little Sister he found and he helped her into the vent.

Once he was sure that the little girl was safe, Jack turned to leave but he found himself knocked off his feet.

He crashed against a shelf of old canned food. Jack winced in pain and he looked up. Standing in the doorway was a Big Sister.

The Big Sister hissed. Jack saw his gun lying on the floor only a foot away.

He scrambled to get his gun but the Big Sister pinned Jack's arm to the floor with her foot.

Jack looked up and saw the Big Sister reaching down at him. Her hand clamped over his face and a sweet scent invaded his nostrils. Everything went black.

Once Jack's body went limp, the Big Sister heard Sofia whisper "_Good. Now bring him to me, my child." _

The Big Sister nodded. She scooped up the unconscious Jack and quickly departed the grocery store.

* * *

At the pumping station, Delta and the others were busy fighting Father Wales. After battling his followers, all that remained was Wales. He fought fiercely and screamed threats at them.

Artemis managed to hit him in the leg with her gun but the Father kept fighting.

As they fought, they heard Sofia Lamb's voice speak on the loudspeaker "_Father Wales, this is Sofia Lamb. We have him, as I have promised. He is now being cared for now."_

Father Wales let out a triumphant cry and crowed "Ha! Paradise is neigh!" he attacked Wally with a pair of daggers.

The speedster dodged with super speed and he knocked the Splicer off balance. Delta grabbed Father Wales and hurled him across the room. Wales crashed into some benches but he jumped back to his feet. He attacked Artemis who was busy helping Sinclair destroy an enemy security bot.

Delta intervened and he impaled Father Wales with his drill. Father Wales screamed in pain. The Splicer priest looked up at Delta and sneered "P…Paradise is...ours" then his body went limp.

Delta placed the Splicer on a nearby bench and turned to Sinclair and Artemis. The archer thanked Delta and she asked Sinclair "What was Sofia talking about?"

"I don't know" said Sinclair "But it didn't sound good" he turned and he rushed up a nearby set of stairs that led to a small room with a consol.

Artemis followed. She saw Sinclair work on the controls and he finally flipped the main switch. A there were some beeping sounds and Sinclair smiled "There, now lets get to Dionysus Park."

As they left the control room, they heard Sofia speak on the radio "_Do you think me a tyrant? Vying for control of a dead man's dream"_

"It seems that way" muttered Artemis.

Sofia chuckled and said, "_Rapture is nothing. Rapture must die, so that Eleanor and Jack may rise from its body." _

Artemis frowned and glanced at the radio in her hand "What do you mean?" "_Allow me to demonstrate"_ said Sofia.

There was a loud rumbling and groaning. The pipes in the pump station began creak loudly then burst, spraying seawater everywhere.

Sinclair's eyes widened "She's overloading the pumps, she's gonna drown us!" he turned to Delta and the others "We gotta go, now!" the four raced out of the pumping station.

* * *

As they raced through Siren Alley, they saw the water level slowly rising.

Wally looked around and shouted over the roar of the rushing water "Where's Jack?"

Artemis shrugged. Wally took off at super speed and searched at the grocery store where he said he was investigating. The speedster saw that it was empty.

As he turned to leave, he spotted something running at top speed towards an exit. Wally raced after it and as he got close, he saw that it was a Big Sister, carrying Jack on her shoulder.

He tried to catch up but the Big Sister heard Wally coming.

She flicked her wrist and suddenly Wally was flung back several feet and landed in cold water. He got up and saw the Big Sister race through a doorway.

Wally tried to follow but the door was sealed shut. The speedster tried to find another way in but the water level began to grow dangerously high, so he turned and ran back to the others.

* * *

Wally found Artemis, Sinclair and Delta at the train station.

Sinclair had found an undamaged train and he was trying to get it to work. Artemis asked about Jack and Wally told her what happened.

The archer's eyes widened and she said "We got to go back"

"It's too late" said Sinclair "We'll drown before we could even get close to finding a way through. The only thing we can do now is to get to Dionysus Park. From there it's a straight shot to Lamb, that's where he'll be".

Artemis and Wally wanted to argue but there was a loud rumble and they saw water flooding into the station.

They boarded the train and Sinclair hit the switch. The train moved and carried them out of Siren Alley.

* * *

The Big Sister walked into Sofia Lamb's office with the unconscious Jack in her arms.

Sofia smiled and told the Big Sister "Put him with Eleanor"

The Big Sister nodded and she carried Jack to a small, isolated chamber where Eleanor laid. She placed Jack down beside Eleanor and Sofia told the Big Sister to leave.

Sofia inserted a tube into Jack's arm. A red liquid oozed through the tube and into Jack's veins.

The doctor patted Jack gently on the cheek muttering "Sweet dreams child".

She turned and left. Sofia had unfinished business to attend to with Delta and Sinclair.

End of chapter.

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**(a/n: what do you think? Since Sander Cohen survived in my last story, i thought he should make an appearance soon. Please review!) **


	7. Ch 7: Perchance to Dream

**(a/n: Please enjoy and review!)**

* * *

Ch.7: Perchance to Dream

Jack's eyes fluttered open and were greeted by the sight of a high gilded ceiling. He sat up and rubbed drowsiness out of his eyes.

Jack glanced around himself and saw that he was lying on the floor of an enormous ritzy restaurant.

The restaurant was packed with people in fine clothes and masks. Jack got to his feet and looked around the restaurant. Scattered around were tables with patrons sitting, eating and chatting. A band played jazz music while some patrons were dancing on a dance floor with their partners in the heart of the restaurant.

Jack saw streamers and other decorations hanging from the ceiling.

It took him a moment but Jack realized why the restaurant was familiar. It was the Kashmir Restaurant. He, Artemis and Wally passed through the restaurant on their first visit to Rapture. Only, the restaurant was a hollow, desolate shell of its former self. Now it looked to be vibrant and alive.

With each passing second, the restaurant became even more crowded. Jack decided to investigate.

He pushed his way through the crowd, studying the restaurant around him. The people paid him no heed. Jack skirted around the dining area and he passed by a window giving him a clear view of Dionysus Park that was just across from the restaurant.

Jack paused a moment and looked at his reflection. He was wearing a black tuxedo, black bowtie with black shoes. He also wore a white, porcelain bird mask over his face.

Jack frowned a little and muttered "What the hell?" he turned and scanned the crowded restaurant, wondering what was going on.

One minute he was in Siren Alley helping a Little Sister, and then a Big Sister attacked him. Now he was in the Kashmir Restaurant wearing a tux and mask. For a moment Jack thought he was sent back in time but he dismissed that thought.

It was a ridiculous idea and he was hoping that it wasn't true. He could've sworn he saw Dr. Steinman talking with Sander Cohen on the far side of the restaurant. The two looked healthy and sane.

Jack was pulled out of his thoughts when a familiar voice asked, "What are you doing here?"

Jack turned and he saw standing there was a girl his age wearing a white dress and a Blue Morpho butterfly mask.

Jack stammered "I…I don't know" he frowned at the girl and asked, "Do I know you?"

The girl stared at Jack for a moment then her eyes widened "Jack?"

Jack stared at her for a moment then he realized who it was. "Eleanor?" said Jack in surprise.

The two removed their masks and saw each other for the first time in years.

Jack saw that Eleanor looked older than she did in the photo. She had blue eyes and short brown hair. She stood a few inches shorter than him and was pale. Eleanor looked Jack up and down then asked him "Why are you here?"

Jack shrugged "I don't know. One minute I was in Siren Alley and the next thing I know is that I'm here".

Eleanor's eyes widened "Oh no"

"What?" asked Jack.

Eleanor explained, "Mother has captured you. Right now, you are asleep in Persephone."

"I'm asleep?" said Jack doubtfully.

Eleanor nodded "Yes. At the moment, we are in a shared dream state while my mother is busy injecting massive doses of ADAM into our bodies"

"What for?" asked Jack. "To create perfect utopians" answered Eleanor bitterly "Perfect vessels for the Rapture Family".

Jack grimaced "That's disgusting" "Indeed, it is" agreed Eleanor, shuddering a little.

Jack glanced around the crowded restaurant and asked, "Can we go somewhere less crowded?"

"Sure" said Eleanor. She grabbed Jack's arm and led him through the crowded restaurant. They passed a table where Jack saw Frank Fontaine talking with a beautiful woman and drinking wine. Part of Jack wanted to slug Fontaine in the face but Eleanor kept dragging him along.

They went down a hallway near the entrance and found themselves in a peaceful, less crowded lounge.

Eleanor and Jack sat down at a table. She smiled a little "That's better, isn't it?"

"Yeah" said Jack "Now, tell me, if this is a dream then why are in the Kashmir Restaurant in this" he gestured to his tux.

Eleanor thought for a moment then answered "This is a memory of New Years from when I was younger. It was probably the only time that Rapture was ever at peace. I remember everyone being very happy, even my mother."

Jack thought for a moment and he said, "I think I remember this New Years. I remember going to movies with my mother" he smiled a little "It was probably one of my favorite memories of this city".

Eleanor nodded a little. She looked Jack in the eye and asked, "Where did you go?"

"Hmm?" said Jack, frowning in confusion. Eleanor asked, "We used to play together, in Pauper's Drop. Do you remember?"

Jack nodded.

Eleanor continued "but you disappeared one day. Where did you go?"

Jack sighed, "It's a long story" "We're not going anywhere" said Eleanor, casually "We have all the time in the world."

Jack smiled a little and he explained. He explained how Frank Fontaine had conditioned Jack since infancy to be his weapon against Jack's real father, Andrew Ryan. Jack explained that Fontaine sent Jack to the surface when he was young and on the surface he lived with a foster family until Fontaine reactivated him, forcing him to crash an airplane.

Eleanor listened to Jack and was completely engrossed by his story. She was surprised when Jack told her that he was forced by Andrew Ryan to kill him.

Eleanor asked, "Why would he do that?"

"I think he was trying to prove a point about something" said Jack. He then imitated his father by scowling and growling, "A man chooses, a slave obeys"

Eleanor burst out laughing. After she managed to catch her breath, Eleanor held up a hand and said, "Try guessing who this is".

Eleanor imitated her mother by speaking loftily "Please understand that like all I've done, this... is an act of love."

Jack laughed and said "Your mother" "Correct" said Eleanor grinning from ear to ear.

After a few moments, the two sat in silence. Jack coughed and drummed his fingers on the table. He glanced around the lounge and then to Eleanor, who was staring at Jack wistfully the whole time.

Jack grinned sheepishly "So…now what do we do?"

"We wait" answered Eleanor "Wait and hope that my father and your friends rescue us" "If they don't?" asked Jack.

Eleanor thought for a moment then answered, "I rather not think about it"

"Me neither" said Jack.

Eleanor and Jack spent the next few minutes talking. They got caught up with each other's lives. Jack did the most talking because Eleanor was interested with life on the surface. They also reminisced about their childhood.

As time passed, they got to know each other a little better. Suddenly they heard a slow song playing in the main restaurant.

Eleanor looked towards the restaurant then to Jack and asked, "Do you want to dance?"

Jack asked "Why?"

Eleanor shrugged "We have a lot of time and we're not going anywhere. We might as well try and keep ourselves entertained until we're rescued"

Jack swallowed and stuttered, "I-I d-don't dance"

"Don't or can't?" asked Eleanor, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Jack answered hesitantly "Both".

Eleanor smiled "I'll teach you" she grabbed Jack's hand saying "Come on". Eleanor dragged Jack out of the lounge by the hand and back to the Kashmir Restaurant.

End of chapter

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**(a/n: Its filler but i hoped you enjoy this. Please review!)**


	8. Ch 8: A Walk in Dionysus Park

**(a/n: Please enjoy and review!)**

* * *

Ch.8: A Walk in Dionysus Park

The train came to a slow halt in the station. The doors slid open, letting in a salty, fishy stench into the train car.

Artemis, Wally, Delta and Sinclair disembarked from the train.

The condition of the train station was similar to the Adonis Spa and Resort. Coral and barnacles clung to the walls. Dunes of sand filled the halls and luminous sea plants flourished. Flickering lights illuminated the area, assisted by the luminous plants.

Wally pinched his nose, trying to block out the stench of the sea. Artemis glanced around the station and asked, "So what's the story on this place?"

"Dionysus Park was owned by Sofia Lamb" explained Sinclair as he fished through his pockets for a cigarette "It was a sorta private retreat for her social experiments."

Sinclair found a cigarette and he lit it with a match. He took a long drag and said softly "One night it mysteriously flooded, killing all of the guests. The papers said it was 'cult related'"

"What really happened?" asked Wally.

Sinclair shrugged "Beats me".

Artemis shivered a little and asked Sinclair "Now what?"

"There's another station on the other side of Dionysus Park" said Sinclair "We need to get there and hop on a new train, it should lead us straight to Lamb's HQ".

Delta droned and he started marching towards the exit. Wally, Artemis and Sinclair followed. The four passed through a door and followed a dank, moss-covered hall. Artemis saw old paintings hanging on the walls, some were damaged from flooding, others were good as new, which was strange but the archer just shrugged and continued on. They turned a corner and headed through a big common area. Wally saw a door slide shut.

The speedster nudged Sinclair, asking, "Did you see that?"

"Yep" said Sinclair "It seems like we're not alone. Stay on your toes and keep a sharp eye out"

Wally nodded. The group passed through the common area, past a large marble statue of a woman with wings and they reached a door that led further into Dionysus Park. Delta, Sinclair, Artemis and Wally passed through the door.

Suddenly, Sofia Lamb's voice boomed over a loudspeaker "_Attention, Subject Delta and his cohorts have infiltrated Dionysus Park. Their deaths will be our rebirth! The lives of the People's Daughter and the People's Guiding Light are in your hands!" _

Sinclair glanced back at Artemis and Wally saying, "We better pick up the pace" they nodded.

Delta and the others picked up speed. They hurried down another hall until they came to a gallery of sorts. Before they could pass through, they found a male and female Splicer bickering about something.

The Splicers noticed Delta. They quite bickering and screamed at Delta "Die monster!" "For the family!" They attacked Delta and the others.

* * *

After a few minutes of avoiding bullets and fireballs, Sinclair finished off the man as Delta defeated the woman.

Once the two splicers were out of the way, Artemis and Wally moved to open the only set of doors leading out but they paused. They heard a man shouting from the other side of the door "_No…she's my little girl!" _they heard gunshots and screeching. Artemis and Wally opened the doors.

When the doors finally opened, they found only an empty atrium.

In the middle of the atrium was a large, rusted carousal. Around the atrium were several doors leading to different sections of Dionysus Park. Wally frowned and looked around the atrium for any sign of a struggle but found nothing.

Sinclair and Delta entered the atrium.

Sinclair looked at the carousal and sighed "I remember bringing Jack here once, with his mama." He muttered softly "Brigid…I still don't see what she saw in that snake Fontaine"

"Huh?" said Wally, glancing back at Sinclair. Sinclair's cheeks turned pink and he said quickly "Nothing".

Artemis glanced around the atrium and asked, "Where do we go?" Sinclair pointed to a door and they went through it.

* * *

As they traveled towards the train station, Artemis noticed that Sinclair looked a little worried. She asked, "What's wrong?"

Sinclair shook his head slowly "I got this feeling, it's like we're not alone. Its like I'm forgettin' something but I don't know what".

Artemis frowned and asked, "What do you think it is?" "_That's probably me" _said a new voice.

Everyone looked to the radio that hung from Artemis's belt. Artemis picked up the radio and asked, "Who is this?"

"_Hello folks" _said the voice warmly "_The name's Stan Poole—Rapture Tribune, quality paper-before the locals stopped readin' and, uh, findin' other uses for the paper. Anyway, I'm lookin' to cut a deal with you fine fellas." _

"What do you want?" asked Wally.

Stan didn't answer. He only said "_Come by the train station, I'm in the booth" _

Artemis and Wally looked at each other then to Sinclair "What do you think?" asked Wally.

Sinclair frowned and said, "I don't know. Stanley Poole is a rather slippery man. But it seems that we have no choice". The three agreed to hear Stan's proposal.

On the way to the station, Sofia growled at them on the radio "_Dionysus Park was my home. An experiment in social unity cut short by human folly. You all dishonor its memory with each step" _

"You have our friend" said Wally "We're coming for him and for you. So I suggest you stop worrying about some rundown old park and start worrying about what happens when we get you".

Sofia said nothing. There was a hiss of static then Stanley spoke nervously "_Now that—see. Lamb knows you're here but I'm incognito. Thing is, since you drained out the park, Little Sisters are startin' to sniff around for ADAM. I can't have that". _

Artemis frowned "What do you want us to do?"

Stanley didn't answer.

The archer sighed in annoyance "What is with people and not giving us a straight answer?"

* * *

Delta, Artemis, Wally and Sinclair trudged through a cave and into another corridor where they found a small red wagon that held a small grenade launcher.

Delta picked it up and he heard Eleanor speak softly to him "_Take this father…Mother can't hear this but…she knows that I am helping you. I can feel her watching Jack and me. Jack is fine for the moment but she is accelerating his treatments. We don't have much time. Please, hurry"._

Delta cocked the grenade launcher and growled angrily, then picked up the pace.

Artemis, Wally and Sinclair hurried after him. Finally, they reached the second station where only a trio of Splicers and a broken turret waited.

Delta mowed through them with his drill. Once they were dealt with, Delta growled something to Artemis.

Artemis heard Stanley speak "_Ah, you made it" _

"What do you want from us?" asked Wally.

Stanley spoke plainly "_Ok, So dead men tell no tales right? Wrong. See, with ADAM involved, every stiff's got a story—and Lamb knows how to read it. If that stuff makes it back to her, I'm an obituary."_

Stanley coughed and continued, "_So I want you to take the story of Dionysus Park and bury it. Get rid of the Little sisters for me… in your own way. Do that and I'll unlock the station for you. Scout's honor" _the radio went silent.

Artemis glanced to Sinclair and asked, "What do you think?"

Sinclair sighed, "Well I'd say 'he's hiding something'- But he sorta took the fun out of that one. He's locked himself in the security booth. So we'll have to play along and find those sisters".

Delta growled something and Sinclair nodded slowly "I know that you want to get to Eleanor but we must find those Little Sisters first"

Delta grunted and then stomped off. Sinclair, Wally and Artemis followed after him.

The group left the station and entered the Gallery Entrance. The room was enormous and it had several different doors that led to different areas of Dionysus Park. The entrance displayed several large paintings and was opulently decorated.

In the center of the room were two shallow pools, surroundings two dramatic statues that were flanked by pillars. To the rear of the gallery, a large waterfall depicting a landscape completed the room.

Wally looked around the spacious gallery and saw signs pointing to different doors. The speedster inspected the signs and asked aloud "Where to first?"

Delta lumbered past Wally and marched through the nearest door, which led to Triton Cinema.

The speedster shrugged "Ok then, cinemas it is". Wally, Sinclair and Artemis hurried after Delta.

At Triton Cinema, Delta and the others passed through the empty lobby and entered the theater.

At the far end of the theater, near the screen were a Little Sister and a Big Daddy. Delta growled and cocked his weapon.

Wally took a deep breath and muttered "Here we go".

Delta attacked and Wally and Artemis provided cover fire.

* * *

Delta finished off the Big Daddy with his drill. Once the Big Daddy fell, Delta cured the Little Sister. The little girl crawled through the vent out in the lobby and was free.

Stanley commented, "_Smart. She's cured, you get the ADAM and the little girl goes free. Since you're a silent partner, its tops with me". _Delta just grumbled.

Artemis, Wally and Sinclair searched through the theater for ammunition and supplies.

Meanwhile, Delta searched the balcony where images flashed through his mind. It showed Sofia being dragged out of Dionysus Park by several men in matching uniforms.

Another showed Stanley standing in front of a crowd, making a speech. He pointed to himself and asked a question. The crowd nodded in agreement.

The final image showed a wild party raging in Dionysus Park. People drank heavily, gambled and in the last image, it showed Stanley with a pair of scantily dressed women, drinking vodka.

Stanley raised his glass and shouted "_Another round, compliments of Sofia Lamb!" _the partygoers cheered and the images faded.

Delta pondered the images he saw. From the images, he saw Sofia being arrested and Stanley assuming control of Dionysus. What puzzled him were Stanley's actions. Why would he throw wild parties in Dionysus Park and claim that Sofia was responsible?

The Big Daddy shrugged and he went out to meet the others in the lobby.

Artemis pointed down a corridor and suggested searching down that way. Everyone agreed and they began trudging down the hall.

* * *

As they journeyed down the corridor, Stanley spoke to Delta over the radio "_You know, Subject Delta is just a serial number amigo. I did some digging on you for a feature back in the day. They used to call you Johnny Topside—found the city on your own in a diving bell. Real shame about what they did to ya". _

Artemis looked at Delta in surprise. She then looked to Sinclair "Did you know about this?"

"I remember reading something about it in the papers" said Sinclair "It must've slipped my mind"

"So, Delta used to be a guy from the surface?" asked Wally. Sinclair nodded "It appears so".

The speedster asked, "What exactly did they do to him?"

Sinclair shrugged "I don't know. Big Daddy creation wasn't my department, that would've been Suchong and Gil Alexander's".

The group passed through the Gallery Entrance and followed another sign to another door, which led to the Promenade.

The Promenade boasted a piano bar, two small rooms and a doorway leading to another area. The flood heavily damaged the entire area and the floor was blanketed by sand and rocks.

Delta, Sinclair, Artemis and Wally spread out through the Promenade to search for a Little Sister and some supplies. They encountered some Splicers.

Delta shot any Splicer who entered his line of sight. One tried to attack Sinclair from behind but Delta shot the Splicer in the head with a spear gun. The Splicer's body went flying and was pinned to a wall by a spear in his head.

Sinclair thanked Delta and he resumed his search. Wally and Artemis saw a door being cut open with a blowtorch. The doors opened, revealing more Splicers.

Once those Splicers were dealt with, Artemis investigated the way they came in and saw that it led back to the Carousal. The archer went back and told Sinclair. Sinclair pointed to a doorway on the other side of the Promenade. Delta, Sinclair, Artemis and Wally went to the door.

On the other side of the door was the J. Fischer Gallery.

The inside of the gallery was spacious. A variety of paintings hung on the walls and in the middle of the gallery was a large, stone statue of a bear.

In the gallery they saw a Big Daddy and a Little Sister. Delta wasted no time. He marched in and attacked the Big Daddy.

Wally whispered to Artemis "I think he's mad"

"No kidding" said Artemis.

* * *

Delta helped the cured Little Sister into the vent.

Once she disappeared, more images began to flash through his mind. The images showed Stanley talking with Eleanor when she was a child.

She was scolding him about something and Stanley tried to talk his way out of it but Eleanor was adamant. The image changed and it showed Stanley handing Eleanor to a pair of men in suits. Eleanor kicked and fought but she couldn't escape.

Delta saw Stanley waved goodbye to Eleanor as the two men carried her into a Little Sister's Orphanage.

The images ended and Delta found himself back in the J. Fischer Gallery.

Delta remembered that Fontaine used children from his orphanage in the Little Sister experiments. The Big Daddy began to feel rage boiling inside. Stanley was responsible for turning Eleanor into a Little Sister.

Artemis saw Delta clench his fist in anger and she watched him stomp out of the gallery.

The archer heard Stanley talk "_The name Johnny Topside, the people gave him that. Ryan thought that he was a spook from the surface. So Ryan's men locked him up and erased his name. Goodbye Johnny Topside, hello Subject Delta". _

Artemis frowned and felt her dislike for Andrew Ryan grow a little more. Wally, Sinclair and Artemis followed after Delta.

As they hurried to catch up with the Big Daddy, Sinclair muttered, "When all this is over, I'm goin' to buy myself a private island, where I'll be kicking back and sippin' on a nice cold drink"

"That sounds nice" said Wally.

The businessman smiled a little "You, Jack and your girlfriend can come visit me sometime, if we live through this"

"Deal" said the speedster.

* * *

Delta passed through the Gallery Entrance, crossed over to the other side, and they entered a corridor.

They traveled down the corridor and entered Cohen's Collection.

Artemis looked at the sign above the door and asked Sinclair "Did Sander Cohen run this place?"

Sinclair nodded. The archer also asked, "Wasn't he a supporter of Andrew Ryan? And weren't Ryan and Lamb enemies?"

Sinclair nodded again and explained, "Even though Cohen supported Ryan, Lamb held no grudge against him. In fact, she admired his work. She gave him a place here in Dionysus where he could display some of his latest pieces at a very low price."

Wally mused, "I wonder what that nutcase is doing now?"

Delta opened a door and they entered a spacious lounge but they froze. They all stood there, staring in shock at a single figure sitting alone at a table at the far end of the lounge.

It was Sander Cohen. The deranged artist looked exactly as he did when Artemis and Wally last saw him in Fort Frolic. Cohen still wore a black tuxedo with a red flower poking out of his breast pocket. His face was covered in white makeup and his lips were still red as blood.

Sander held a glass of wine in one hand and held a small, tattered novel in the other.

The artist looked up from his novel. When he saw Artemis, Wally and Sinclair, Sander grinned broadly and said happily "Hello again my disciples"

He put his book down and he got up. The artist motioned over to some chairs and told them "Sit, please, sit. I haven't had a visitor in these parts in ages"

Artemis, Wally and Sinclair sat down in the nearest seats so they don't invoke the wrath of the deranged artist.

Sander looked up at Delta and smiled "Ah, Mr. Delta. I heard so much about you from Sofia". He patted the Big Daddy gently on the arm saying softly "I am sorry about your daughter".

As Sander talked with Delta, Artemis glanced around the empty lounge. She saw a stuffed bunny sitting on the counter, staring at her with black, lifeless button eyes. The archer felt a little creeped out by the stuffed bunny.

Sander finished talking with Delta. He spun around to face Artemis and Wally. The artist pulled up a chair and sat down beside them.

Sander snapped his fingers and barked something in French. He turned his attention back to his guests and asked "What brings you down to Dionysus Park?"

"We're here to save Jack and Eleanor" said Artemis.

Sander nodded a little "Oh yes. I heard about that. Sofia's really kicking it into high gear"

"What do you mean?" asked Wally.

The artist tilted his head a little and said "Sofia has been working on a top secret project for years and she had been missing a key component. Andrew Ryan's prodigal son, Jack. And now that she has him in her clutches, Sofia is accelerating her plans."

Artemis and Wally frowned "What does she need him for?" asked Artemis.

Sander shrugged "Something about him being Eleanor's guide and protector who will take her to the surface"

"The surface?" said Wally, his eyes narrowing.

The artist nodded "Yes. I recall Sofia prattling on about a massive flood and Eleanor and Jack sculpting a new world together, using the minds of Rapture's brightest and the combined power of Rapture's citizens. After that, Eleanor will then lead the inhabitants of the new world, her so-called children of the sea, into a bright and prosperous future. One where neither I, or anyone else will live to see. Well, maybe Jack but everyone else is good as dead."

Sander rolled his eyes "Honestly, in my opinion, it's just a load of rubbish".

Sinclair nodded slowly "Couldn't agree more".

Wally frowned a little and he said "Let me get this straight, Sofia wants to destroy the surface world and then have Eleanor create a new one in its place?"

Sander nodded "That's the gist of it". The artist scowled and he glanced around the lounge muttering curses in French. He snapped his fingers and suddenly a female splicer rushed into the lounge carrying a tray that held a bottle of vintage wine and a few glasses.

The Splicer placed the tray on the table and scurried away.

Sander poured himself, Artemis, Wally and Sinclair a glass. Sander raised his glass saying "To better days" he sipped from his glass but stopped.

Artemis, Wally and Sinclair didn't touch their glasses. The artist growled, "Drink".

Without being told twice, Artemis, Wally and Sinclair grabbed their glasses and drank.

Sander smiled a little and asked Wally "You didn't really answer my question. What brings you to my part of Dionysus?"

Wally explained about the Little Sisters and Stanley Poole. At the mention of Stanley's name, Sander frowned and said disdainfully "Oh, that dreadful little worm. He's still alive?"

"You know him?" asked Artemis.

The deranged artist nodded "Yes. He was Ryan's spy in Sofia's camp. Stan was the one who had Sofia locked up and he put Eleanor in Fontaine's Orphanage." He then tilted his head a little "He also threw a number of mad parties and pretty much flooded Dionysus Park"

Sander scowled a little "His low browed friends damaged my new carpets among other things." the artist began muttering things under his breath and he suddenly crushed his wine glass in his hand. The artist looked at the crushed glass that were now embedded into his hand and shrugged muttering "Waste of good wine".

Artemis and Wally stared at Sander in surprise. The archer muttered, "So that's what he's hiding"

"Understandable" said Sinclair. The archer and the speedster looked at Sinclair.

The businessman shrugged "Think about it, if Sofia found out that one of her followers was responsible for her imprisonment and her daughter's disappearance, heads will be rollin'"

"Indeed" muttered Sander, pouring himself more wine in a new glass "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, or in this case, betrayed and locked away".

Sander sipped his wine and asked Wally "Did you see my paintings in Siren Alley?"

"Yeah, I did" said Wally

The artist smiled "Did you like them?" "Y-yeah" said Wally nervously trying not to upset the mad artist.

Sander bowed his head a little "Thank you".

Artemis glanced at Sander and asked, "Why did you do those paintings?"

"Sofia commissioned me to paint some works of art to inspire the dull folks of Rapture" explained Sander "I accepted, relishing the challenge. I left Fort Frolic because of the constant noise from the big sisters and I moved here to my old studio. I worked day and night and once I finished my art, Sofia rewarded me with some good food and good company".

Artemis froze and said nervously "C-company?"

Sander nodded "Yes, my assistant Lisa" he gestured to the door the female splicer entered and exited "And subjects for my new statues" added Sander, gesturing to a trio of white, plaster statues sitting in a corner booth playing poker.

The familiar stench of rot and formaldehyde reached the archer's nose and she grimaced.

It seems that Sander Cohen was still pursuing his grotesque art form.

* * *

After several minutes of drinking and some small polite conversations, Sander clapped his hands together and his Splicer assistant Lisa rushed into the lounge.

The deranged artist drawled "Lisa, be a dear and show these good folks out. They bore me and I need to resume my work on my new masterpiece"

Lisa nodded. She led them to the front door and once they were outside, they heard an unfamiliar voice screaming in agony. Sander started screaming about something and there was a crash of glass. There was silence for a moment then Sander called out "Lisa, come here! And bring a mop!"

Lisa the Splicer shivered and hurried back to the lounge.

Once the door closed behind Lisa, everyone sighed a breath of relief.

Delta droned about something and he started marching down the corridor that led to the next gallery, Lamb's Garden.

* * *

The group dealt with the last Big Daddy and rescued the last Little Sister.

When they got back to the station, Delta pounded on the security booth's door.

The door slid open, revealing a thin, scrawny man with curly hair. Stanley smiled nervously at Delta and stammered "H-hey big guy…h-how's it going?"

"You did it" said Sinclair coldly "You were the one who slaughtered all those people, you were the one who turned Eleanor into a Little Sister"

"H-how d-did you-?" stuttered Stanley. He paused and he thought for a moment then his eyes widened in realization "You talked to Cohen?"

"Yeah" said Wally "And he seems pretty pissed with you. Not as pissed as Sofia Lamb will be when she finds out that you were the one who put her in jail"

Stanley stammered "It wasn't me. The girl was gonna rat me out and I had no choice. Besides, it was Gil who did it, not me".

Delta and the others said nothing and they just gave Stanley a cold look. The reporter shook his head and pleaded, "Please, you can't tell her. Do you have any idea what she'll do to me?"

Artemis shook her head "Nope but I'm sure she has every right to do so, considering you massacred her followers, locked her away and sold her daughter to Fontaine's orphanage".

The reporter dropped to his knees and begged "I'll do anything just please, please don't tell Lamb".

Sinclair, Wally and Artemis glanced at each other, and then they looked to Delta. Delta growled and he grabbed Stanley by the collar of his shirt. The Big Daddy dragged the scrawny man to the security booth and shoved him inside the booth.

Delta jabbed a finger at the control panel, indicating that Stanley should hold up his end of the bargain.

Stanley nodded quickly and he got to work on the controls. A train car slid into the station and the doors opened.

Sinclair, Artemis and Wally boarded the train. Delta glared at Stanley who shrank back in terror.

The Big Daddy jabbed a finger at Stanley and he growled something that sounded like a threat.

Stanley nodded and he held up his hands stammering "Y-y-yeah, sure. Anything you want boss"

Delta grunted and he lumbered out of the security booth. Delta boarded the train.

Once the train was sealed up, the train lurched forward and took off, carrying the group to their next destination, Fontaine Futuristics.

End of chapter

* * *

**(a/n: Well, there you go. In this story, i changed Sofia's plan around a little. I hoped you enjoyed this, please review!)**


	9. Ch 9: Alex the Great and Powerful

**(a/n: Please enjoy and review!)**

* * *

Ch.9: Alex the Great and Powerful

The train came to a halt in the small station.

Delta, Artemis, Sinclair and Wally disembarked the train. The station was small and empty with a single door that led out to a large common area.

Sinclair spoke aloud "This is it, end of the line". Delta marched through some destroyed turnstiles and the others followed.

As they made their way out of the station, Sinclair continued, "If Cohen is right, then Lamb is using ADAM to force the minds and memories of Rapture's greatest minds into the poor girl's mind. She would also be reprogramming Jack to be her obedient attack dog"

"Where do you think Lamb's keeping them?" asked Artemis.

Sinclair rubbed his chin and answered "Probably somewhere deep and dark beneath Fontaine's headquarters. We're going to have to have to sneak in without alerting Lamb".

Delta and the others passed through a common area, down a corridor and down a set of stairs. They passed a few shrines to Eleanor. Artemis saw an image of a butterfly painted on a wall. It was comprised of thousands of white handprints, all organized into the shape of a butterfly.

After descending another set of stairs, they saw a small Gene Tonic bottle sitting on the floor beneath a message that was painted on a wall. The message read "_Hurry Daddy!" _Delta picked up the bottle and injected himself with its contents, then resumed.

* * *

They reached a glass-covered corridor that led to Fontaine Futuristcs.

Before they passed through it, a television screen crackled to life and man appeared on the screen.

He had black hair, pale skin and a thin moustache. The man cleared his throat and spoke calmly "_Hello. My name is Gilbert Alexander and by the time you hear this, I will clinically be insane" _everyone stared at the screen in confusion.

Artemis looked to Sinclair and asked, "Who is he?"

"Gilbert Alexander" answered Sinclair "Creator of Big Daddies, well co-creator actually. Suchong was the one who started the Big Daddy project but some rouge, insane Big Daddy, killed him. Gil picked up from where Suchong left off".

Gilbert continued "_I am recording these diaries in advance, as a last ditch effort to assist anyone I might…threaten…in dealing with me. My next message awaits you beyond the security checkpoint. The bio-scan will ensure that you are sane enough to need it." _

The image faded to static and the screen went dead.

Wally shivered a little "That's comforting"

"Yeah" muttered Artemis. They resumed their journey cautiously.

* * *

Delta and the others reached Fontaine Futuristics.

The glass walkway led to a small workshop with a set of stairs. The group climbed the stairs. At the top of the stairs, scorched into the wall were the words "_You're fired!"_ Wally touched the scorched words and found that they had been burned into the wall a long time ago.

Suddenly they heard a voice scream, "_He's stealing office supplies!" _

Wally, Artemis, Sinclair and Delta rushed up more stairs and entered a spacious lobby.

In the lobby they saw a security bot hovering in front of a pair of Splicers. The Splicers were raiding a broken Circus of Value's vending machine.

The security bot shrieked "_The cheeky little bugger! I saw him stealing ADAM from the company stock- I saw him! Search him!" _

the Splicers looked up at the security bot in confusion then to each other and asked each other what to do.

Suddenly the security bot screamed, "_You are fired! Terminated! Dismissed!" _a bolt of lightning shot out of the robot and struck the Splicer in the chest. The Splicer was flung across the room and landed with a thud. The other Splicer tried to run but the security bot fired another bolt of lightning at the fleeing Splicer. The Splicer tumbled to the ground with a large, smoking hole in her back.

The security bot growled, "_I hope that was instructive to the rest of you"_.

Artemis stared at the security bot and saw that there was a small screen attached to it. On the screen was the image of a single, crazed eye.

Delta entered the lobby with Sinclair and the others following closely behind him. The security bot turned, facing the screen to the newcomers.

The voice spoke "_Oho! Come back to line your pockets with more Fontaine ingenuity have you? Understand sir, that I am the body corporate! Understand sir, that I am Alex the Great!"_

"Alex?" muttered Artemis. She blinked then asked "As in Gilbert Alexander?"

The voice didn't answer. Instead he rattled on "_A company is an organism my friends-I can piss you right back into the ocean with just a little squeeze…"_ The robot hovered away to another part of the lobby with Alex screaming something.

Sinclair groaned "Oh hell. It is Gil Alexander. He sounds madder than a March Hare now".

"What now?" asked Wally.

Sinclair pointed up a grand staircase that led further into Fontaine Futureistics "We keep moving, before Alex and the Splicers decide to make us lunch".

The group hurried up the stairs and Delta threw the switch. A spotlight came on and a computerized voice spoke "_Scanning" _they waited a few moments then the voice spoke "_Identifying clearance level". _

There was a small ding and the voice spoke "_Identified...Clinical test subject. Classification: Protector. Designation: Delta. Status: Deceased. ERROR…Please stand by, updating" _the spotlight switched off.

They heard Alex speak "_What's this? My secretary vouches for you!"_

Wally glanced back and saw the security bot hover towards them. The bot faced Delta and said "_Delta eh…you were one of our old Protectors, yes? You're a fine product, Delta, a fine product! Built to last!" _

Alex gasped "_Don't look now, but I believe that one of your old colleagues wants to welcome you back to the office." _

The security bot ascended to a higher altitude. Wally scowled "What does that mean?" suddenly there was a deafening roar that shook the lobby.

Everyone looked back and saw a large gaping hole in the ceiling. A large shape dropped out of the hole and landed with a loud crash.

Artemis squinted and she saw that it was a Big Daddy. Except, this Big Daddy looked like Delta, only newer and cleaner. The Big Daddy roared and he sprinted towards them at an astonishing speed. Delta raised his hand an unleashed a wave of ice on the Big Daddy.

The Big Daddy's body was slowly being encased in ice but he kept running. Delta poured on the ice and the Big Daddy finally froze, just inches away from Delta. Delta raised a fist and punched the frozen Big Daddy, causing it to shatter into a hundred, large frozen pieces.

Wally inspected the shattered remains of the Big Daddy and said, "What was that?"

"A Big Daddy" answered Sinclair, kicking over a large chunk of ice "An Alpha series by the looks of it. Like Delta". Delta said nothing. He just approached the door and the computerized voice spoke "_Designation: Delta, status updated. Status: Active, access granted"._

There was a loud click and the doors slid open.

Delta entered first, followed by the others.

* * *

The four found themselves in a reception area where a large sign hung on the wall, pointing to different areas of Fontaine Futuristics.

Artemis noticed another Tv screen on the wall. The TV screen came to life and another video of Gilbert Alexander came into view.

Gilbert coughed a little and said "_Hello again. I have been exposed to a massive dose of substance ADAM. By the time you hear this, I will have armed the facilities defenses en mass. You my friend, must therefore penetrate them and…kill me"_ Artemis and Wally stared at the screen in shock.

Gilbert nodded slowly and sighed, "_I know. Please believe me that if I could have done it myself…"_ he sighed again.

Gilbert paused for a moment then spoke "_And on that cheery note, you may use the diary lying near the screen to bypass the vocal print locks and enter the security office. The password is…Agnus Dei"._ The screen flickered and died.

A small panel on the wall slid open, revealing a small hidden compartment where a tape recorder sat. Wally removed the tape recorder from the compartment and pressed play. Gilbert's voice spoke, saying only two words "_Agnus Dei"_. The tape came to an end.

Artemis thought of the man they saw on the screen and she felt a little sorry for Gilbert. Gilbert knew that he was slowly going insane and he knew that he would be a dangerous threat to everyone around him. It must've been very hard to record his final sane thoughts in an effort to end his own life and release him from a lifetime of madness.

Wally pocketed the tape recorder and the group continued onward.

They came to a halt in front of another door where there was a button and a microphone. Wally pressed the button and a computerized voice spoke "_Please enter vocal print" _the speedster pressed play on Gilbert's tape recorder and he spoke "_Agnus Dei"_.

The voice spoke "_Access granted. Welcome Gilbert Alexander"._ The door slid open and the group pressed on.

* * *

As they traveled down a corridor, they heard Alex speak on the radio "_I heard that! My likeness is company property. Just like Delta. Don't make me strip you for parts me laddo!" _they reached another door with a security door requiring a vocal pass code.

Wally moved to enter the code but a security bot appeared with small screen showing Alex's eye.

Alex growled, "_I warned you"_ he cleared his throat and he began singing "_When you're down in the mouth and life's a pain. Weather man says heavy rain!" _arcs of lightning shot out of a prong on the security bot and struck the microphone. The microphone sparked and the computerized voice sputtered.

Alex continued singing "_A little boost is all you need, Average Joe to Hercules, stronger arm and sharper brain. That's why the future is Fontaine!" _Alex concluded his jingle with a round of mad cackling.

Sinclair tried the voiceprint but it didn't work. The scanner shut down and the voice told them to try again in another few minutes.

Sinclair groaned, "Damn. Gil is jamming the voice lock with his awful croonin'." "Can't we do something about it?" asked Wally.

The businessman nodded "Yes. We can try and break Gil's control over the building's security. There should be a security shutdown station somewhere near here"

Sinclair pointed down one corridor "Search down that way" he pointed off to another corridor "I'll search this way".

Wally and Artemis nodded. The group split off and went off in search of a security bot shutdown station.

* * *

After several minutes of searching, Artemis and Wally found a shutdown station where a small transmission device was attached.

The archer reached to remove it but Alex snarled "_Don't you dare touch that signal relay young lady! Its value is ten times your paycheck!"_

"Sorry, no can do" said Artemis. She tore the small blinking device and tossed it to the ground. The archer stamped it to pieces with her boot. After it was destroyed, Alex growled, "_I am very disappointed in you young lady. Destruction of a Fontaine asset is punishable by summary dismissal. Shall I simplify it for you? You're fired. Fired! Fired! Fired!" _

Artemis rolled her eyes.

Sinclair spoke on the radio "_Good work, I got another one and Delta is on his way to the next one, just one more to go"._

Artemis nodded "Ok" the archer and Wally left to search for the next station.

* * *

Delta lumbered through the derelict Marketing Division office.

Papers were left scattered all over the floor. Framed advertisement posters hung crookedly on the walls and filing cabinets were left tipped over.

The Big Daddy walked past a conference room where a group of Splicers in dirty business suits sat around a large table. At the head of the table a Splicer in a dirty grey suit was screaming about bad office morale and their failing stock. The other Splicers were too busy quivering in fear to notice Delta.

Delta searched through a spacious office that looked like it had been looted several times.

There was a large wooden desk in front of a grand view of Rapture. Filing cabinets left knocked over and looted. There where shelves filled with bottles of Liquor. Delta saw a large portrait of a bald man in business attire. At the bottom was the inscription "_Frank Fontaine"._

The Big Daddy searched through office and he noticed a tape recorder on the desk.

He pressed play and a man thick Bronx accent spoke in an angry voice "_Every time Ryan turns up the heat, I know I'm a little bit closer to beatin' him at his own game. But now the game's changin' - Ryan's boys are comin' in heavy - lookin' to knock down my door and take what's mine. Like this is the first time I had to dodge a bullet. They're comin' to my house expectin' a show, but they're gonna get a disappearin' act. Say goodbye to Fontaine..." _there was a sound of a weapon being cocked and the man's accent changed to an Irish one "_and hello to Atlas"_.

The tape clicked and ended. Delta pondered on what it was about but he just shrugged and left the office.

Eventually Delta found the relay in a nearby storage closet and he switched it off.

* * *

Wally and Artemis met up with Sinclair on the central stairs near the lounge. The stairs led to the upper floors where Sinclair and Delta had already searched through. Sinclair explained that Alex had him cornered in one of the labs but he managed to fight his way out.

Soon, Delta arrived and Sinclair asked, "Did you do it?"

Delta nodded. The businessman smiled "Excellent" he turned and he hurried down the stairs saying "Come on! lets get goin' before something goes wrong"

Wally, Artemis and Delta hurried after him.

At the door of the security office, Wally used Gilbert's recording and the door slid open.

The four poured into the abandoned security office. Inside were a number of consoles and screens. On one of the walls was a gun rack with a shotgun and a machine gun still hanging there.

One of the screens flickered on and Gilbert Alexander's face appeared on the screen. He smiled a little "_Hello again. I must assume by now that you're willing to help end my life. In exchange, I have prepared a friendly security escort for you"._

The four heard a soft beeping and they saw a security bot hover into the security office. Gilbert paused for a moment then continued, "_Ah, now…there's a switch in here, which will allow you access to the real laboratories where…where what's left of me awaits you". _

The image flickered then the screen went black. Artemis frowned a little and muttered, "What's left of him?"

"That doesn't sound pleasant" said Wally.

* * *

After stocking up on ammunition, Delta and the others embarked on their journey to the laboratories where Alex awaited them.

They descended a long flight of stairs that led deeper and deeper beneath Fontaine Futuristics.

Wading through a half flooded corridor, Sinclair spoke "If I remember correctly from my dealings with the owners of this place, the top secret laboratories where the Big Daddies and the other secret toys were made, are down here. There's a good chance that Lamb is keepin' Jack and Eleanor down here"

"Good" said Wally "Because I really want to give that woman a piece of my mind"

"Me too" agreed Artemis. They passed through a door and into a entered a dark corridor that was overgrown with plants.

Delta led the way, illuminating the darkness with the light that came from his helmet. As they passed through the overgrown forest of sea plants, Artemis thought of Julie Langford and Arcadia. The botanist helped them stop Ryan from poisoning Arcadia and suffocating the entire city.

But unfortunately, Ryan killed Langford. Her death still echoed through Artemis's mind.

At the end of the corridor, they reached another door.

Through the door was a dark, spacious room. The floors were covered in tiles. In the dark, there were some sparks and flashes from low hanging wires.

Suddenly a screen on a nearby consol flickered on, bathing a small portion of the room in a pale light.

Gilbert didn't appear on the screen but they heard his voice "_I'm afraid the lights in here sting my eyes terribly. Until you arrive to deal with me, they will remain off". Please locate the breakers and restore power from this consol". _

Gilbert's voice stopped but the screen didn't turn off. Sinclair squinted and glanced around the dark. He muttered, "Now where are those circuit breakers."

He walked off into the dark toward the sparks. Delta did the same. Wally and Artemis waited for the two to return. As they waited, Wally felt as if someone or something was watching him. Artemis felt like something was going to jump out of the dark and grab her.

After a few moments of darkness and silence, Delta and Sinclair returned. Sinclair went to the consol and as he flipped the switch, he muttered, "Let there be light".

The lights flickered on, revealing the size of the room. It was much larger than expected. There were more consoles and screens lining the walls. There were several doors leading to different areas. But what caught their attention was the massive glass and metal tank that sat in the middle of the lab.

It was partially overgrown by moss and the glass had a red tint to it.

Gilbert's voice spoke again "_Sofia and I knew that to create the first true Utopian would come at a high cost my friend. We needed someone to be the host of all that ADAM…Rapture's finest minds. A willing subject…that is to say myself." _

Artemis felt her skin crawl. Gilbert practically volunteer to an experiment that drove him to insanity and it obviously went horribly wrong.

Inside the tank they saw a shadow approach the glass but suddenly it recoiled and they heard Alex's voice scream in agony. The shadow quickly retreated away from the glass and into a cloud of smoke that was inside the tank.

Wally's eyes widened "What was that?" "I have no clue" said Sinclair, looking just as surprised as Wally.

Gilbert spoke "_Whatever you may have seen in the tank, that was indeed me" _

Artemis, Wally and Sinclair looked at the tank in shock. The tank's occupant didn't look human. It wasn't even human in shape.

Gilbert continued, "_I fear that the fate of Eleanor Lamb and Jack Ryan will be less physical but no less grotesque. This tank for deep-sea life is the ideal way to…dispose of me. First you need to retrieve enough ADAM-infused plants to lure me out. The slugs feed on that stuff and it's…all I seem to want now. I left a sample for you. Good luck". _The screen went dead.

Artemis and Wally stared up at the tank then they glanced over to a nearby table where they saw a strange, red flower. Artemis picked it up and studied it. She handed it to Sinclair saying, "We need a few more of these"

"Right" said Sinclair "We split up and we search for 'em" Delta nodded and the others nodded.

After they decided which way to go, Delta and Wally went one way, Artemis and Sinclair went another.

* * *

Artemis and Sinclair trudged through a corridor that was overgrown with tall grass.

As they went deeper and deeper into the corridor, they saw some Big Daddy corpses lying in the grass, covered in bullet holes and dust.

Sinclair sighed deeply and shook his head "Poor things. What a life, marchin' around playin' daddy until some splicer manages to kill off their little sister. If the coma doesn't take 'em they'll turn maniac. Nothin' left to do but scream".

The archer frowned and asked "Coma?"

"A Big Daddy and a Little Sister share a special bond" explained Sinclair as he stepped over a dead splicer "If the Little Sister dies or is separated from their Big Daddy for a extended period of time, the Big Daddy will get sick within a matter of days. If they don't retrieve their Little Sister, they'll slip into a coma and die" he glanced back over his shoulder to Artemis "Which is one reason why Delta is after Eleanor. He'll slip into a coma if they remain separated any longer"

"That sucks" said Artemis.

Sinclair nodded "Indeed".

They reached a small abandoned lab where it had many assorted potted plants scattered around. Artemis spotted the plant they needed two separate pots. She plucked them from their pots and Sinclair said "Two down, one more to go".

* * *

Delta and Wally managed to finish off the last Alpha series Big Daddy and cure the Little Sister. The two trudged down a hall filled with pipes and were ambushed by another Alpha series Big Daddy who was accompanied by a Little Sister.

Once the girl was safe in the Little Sister vent, Delta and Wally continued on.

They marched through a few more winding corridors until they found a laboratory. The laboratory had hundreds screens, consoles and an operating table with restraints. Wally went in search of the plant. As he searched through a nearby storage closet, the Big Daddy stood there glancing around the lab.

Delta recognized the lab. This was where he was turned into a Big Daddy.

Eleanor spoke to him telepathically "_This is where they bound us together, Father. Playing God…and you were one of the few good things that Rapture ever gave me"._

A few moments later, Delta heard his radio come to life and he heard Soifa spoke.

Her voice was bitter and angry "_She was not supposed to have a father, Delta. She was supposed to be an heir to my life's work. And this is where they changed her…bonding her to you. The child she was, died in this room"_ the radio went silent.

Delta stood there thinking about what Sofia told him when he heard Wally exclaim "Ah ha!" the Big Daddy went to the storage room where Wally was. He saw the speedster holding the plant they needed.

* * *

The four returned to the main laboratory and gathered the plants together.

Sinclair smiled "Time to feed the fish".

But before they could act, Sofia spoke to them; her voice sounded sorrowful "_Poor Gilbert. It was his will to die, to serve the majority by protecting them from his lunacy. Your entire journey is based on your refusal to do the same. Will you grant his request, knowing that he served the family?" _

Sinclair rolled his eyes "Rebirth eh? Sure, you live forever but minus your body. I happen to like my body thank you."

"_Is that so?" _said Lamb.

Sinclair chuckled "Yes. I don't feature the idea of my memories an' personality bein' stored in the head of some saintly child like some dusty ol' book in the library".

They heard Sofia chuckle and say ominously, "_If that is what you wish, then I am happy to oblige Augustus."_

Once the radio went dead, Wally muttered, "That was creepy" "Never mind her" said Sinclair "Right now, we need to deal with Gil".

* * *

Sinclair waited by the switch. He had directed Delta, Artemis and Wally to some nearby pipes where they fed the ADAM-infused plants into them.

The pipes led directly to the tank. Once they were finished, Artemis gave Sinclair the signal and Sinclair threw the switch. There was a loud hiss and some red objects began to float into the tank.

Over the loudspeaker, Alex boomed, "_A notice to all employees, Subject Delta and his cohorts are hereby dismissed! Escort them from the premises!" _almost on cue, a pair of Alpha Big Daddy's entered the lab followed by a dozen Splicers each.

Delta, Artemis and Wally engaged them, trying to keep them at bay while Sinclair dealt with Alex.

As the battle raged on, they heard Alex trying to resist eating the plants but he was slowly succumbing to his hunger.

After the last of the Splicers were defeated, Alex snarled "_How dare you try to…buy me out with this…this bribe…this…pittance. This…sublime…God damn you, Delta…" _A large shadow moved in the tank, snatching up the plants as they floated to the bottom. Sinclair hit a switch on the console.

Inside the tank, there was a metallic whirr and they heard Alex giggling.

The console hummed for a few moments and a small, square piece of metal emerged from a slot on the console.

Sinclair plucked the metal object and held it up for the others to see. Artemis asked, "What is that?"

"A genetic key" answered Sinclair "This key has Gil's DNA, which will give us access to where Lamb is hiding"

"Sweet" said Wally.

Artemis glanced over to the massive sea-life tank and asked "What about him?"

Sinclair shrugged. He saw a blinking light on the consol and he pressed a button. Gilbert Alexander's voice spoke to them "_It is done. The sample disposal button is on the consol in front of you will deliver a jolt of electricity to the tank, just enough to kill me. Whatever I may say to dissuade you, do not listen. The man whose voice you hear now is long gone" _

Gilbert sighed, "_As my mind now fades, I find my thoughts turning to the suffering Eleanor will be made to endure and I am overcome with pity. I can only offer my feeble prayers. Perhaps, after my death, you can do more. Now please…I ask of you, grant me peace. Goodbye my friend, and thank you". _

Sinclair glanced to Artemis and Wally. They both stared solemnly at the tank where Alex the Great was busy devouring the ADAM infused plants.

Artemis nodded to Sinclair.

Sinclair sighed deeply and he looked up at the tank.

The businessman muttered "See ya in the next life Gil" he pushed the sample disposal button.

* * *

The journey out of the secret laboratories was melancholy. None of them spoke or mentioned anything about Gilbert Alexander.

After a few moments of silence, Artemis asked Sinclair "Where to now?"

"To Persephone" answered Sinclair.

Wally frowned "What's Persephone?"

"Rapture Penal Colony" said Sinclair bitterly "A foul place where Ryan sent his enemies and other people he thought were conspiring against him. That's where we'll find Lamb, it's the only logical place she'll be hiding in."

"How do you know that she'll be there" asked Artemis.

Sinclair sighed, "She was a prisoner there but she became the prison therapist. Later she gained a following there and caused a riot. It's the perfect place to hide. Its easily defendable, its isolated and it has an escape ship that leads to the surface".

The archer glanced at Sinclair and asked, "How do you know that?"

"I helped build the place" said Sinclair grimly. He held up the key saying "And this is our ticket in".

The group passed through corridor that split into two. Delta, Artemis and Wally continued forward but Sinclair came to a halt. He glanced down the second hall and saw a Little Sister sitting alone on the floor at the far end weeping.

The business frowned in confusion. Where was her Big Daddy? Why was she alone? Sinclair trudged over to investigate.

Once he was close enough, Sinclair knelt down and asked, "What's wrong sweetie?"

the Little Sister sniffled and looked up at Sinclair with her glowing eyes. She said sadly "M-Ms. Lamb is sending you to time out".

Sinclair felt his heart skip a beat. He blinked "What?"

Before Sinclair could react, a Big Sister dropped down from an air vent above and she grabbed the businessman by the throat then lifted him off the ground. Sinclair kicked and fought but the Big Sister had a tight grip on him.

Slowly, Sinclair faded into unconsciousness.

Wally, Artemis and Delta appeared at the end of the hall "Hey!" yelled Wally "Let him go!" he took off running at the Big Sister.

The Big Sister quickly tossed a grenade at the speedster. The grenade bounced around on the floor.

Wally skidded to a halt and he quickly ran back the other way.

The grenade detonated and blanketed the corridor with smoke. Once the smoke cleared, Wally and Artemis saw that the Big Sister and Sinclair were gone.

End of chapter

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**(a/n: What do you think? Please review!)**


	10. Ch 10: Freaks & Capital Punishment

**(a/n: Please enjoy and Review!)**

* * *

Ch. 10: Freaks & Capital Punishment

Eleanor and Jack sat together at a table in the Kashmir Lounge.

The lounge was slowly growing less crowded, with people leaving to go home or leaving for another party somewhere else in Rapture.

The band was playing a slow song as some people drunkenly danced together.

Jack undid his bowtie and fanned himself. He had felt his temperature skyrocketing minute by minute. Eleanor told him that it was part of the treatments and she tried to keep his mind off of it. For most of the evening, they chatted and danced.

They even interacted with some of the party guests but that got old fast. Jack enjoyed himself a little while Eleanor enjoyed their time together thoroughly. She had been alone for a very long time, trapped in her own memories so her time with Jack was very stimulating.

At the moment, Eleanor was busy turning her butterfly mask over in her hands.

After a few moments of silence, she spoke "Jack"

"Hmm?" said Jack looking over to Eleanor.

Eleanor looked at Jack and asked "Are you familiar with a Doctor Gilbert Alexander?"

Jack nodded a little "Yeah, I remember him. He worked with Suchong when they were conditioning me. Why?"

"Your friends have eliminated him" said Eleanor sadly "I will certainly miss him".

Jack frowned "I'm sorry"

"It's ok" said Eleanor "Its what he wanted"

Jack raised an eyebrow "Really?"

Eleanor nodded. She explained, "Mother destroyed Doctor Alexander. Her experiments drove him to madness and she turned him into a monster."

"What happened?" asked Jack.

Eleanor frowned a little and she explained "She tried to splice him into some kind living saint who would calculate the common good and adhere to it tirelessly. But he became... something unspeakable. Mother's philosophy is just as corrupt as Ryan's. By her standards, it would be better to have the entire world equally miserable than to allow us to strive in our own behalf."

Jack nodded slowly "That sucks".

Eleanor smiled a little and sighed.

Jack noticed that Eleanor looked sad. Jack asked, "What's wrong?"

Eleanor reluctantly answered "Doctor Alexander was responsible for turning me into a Little Sister but he tried to make amends by reversing my condition."

"But that's not what's bothering you is it?" asked Jack.

Eleanor shook her head and said "Mother had found a way to rehabilitate me psychologically from being a Little Sister but she can't remove this... this thing inside my body, the ADAM-producing slug. Every time I look in the mirror I see a freak."

She looked down and mumbled, "If we do escape to the surface, where will I go? I'll never fit in, I'm just a freak".

Jack felt sorry for Eleanor. She had been experimented on and used to be a weapon for someone else's ideals. Something Jack had personal experience with.

He thought for a moment about what to say when he suddenly blurted, "I don't think you're a freak".

Eleanor blinked and she looked up to Jack "Pardon?"

"I don't think you're a freak" repeated Jack. He glanced around the restaurant saying "Compared to the entire population of this crazy town, you're probably the most normal person I have ever met"

Jack glanced back to Eleanor and said "If you're a freak, then I'm probably a freak too"

Eleanor raised an eyebrow "Really?"

Jack nodded "Yep. As a baby I was sold to some scientists to be shaped into a weapon against my own dad by implanting command phrases into my mind and changing my genetics to be physically capable of combat. The woman who raised me created Plasmids and Little Sisters. The man I called Uncle tried to kill me on several occasions. I murdered my own father at his command, my memories of my foster parents and pretty much most of my life on the surface was one major lie and I was forced to hijack an airplane and crashed it into the ocean."

Eleanor blinked in surprise. She had almost forgotten about what Jack had been through. In a way, they are similar and they had similar experiences. They both had distant parents with extreme ideals, they both had non-standard childhoods, and they were both raised to fight for someone's agenda or ideals.

Eleanor smiled and said, "I guess I'm glad that I'm not the only freak around here. Maybe we can be freaks together"

Jack felt his face grow warm and he grinned. But his grin faded quickly when he felt a jolt hit his heart. He clutched his heart and groaned a little.

Eleanor looked at him in concern "Are you ok?"

"Yeah" muttered Jack, rubbing his heart a little "It's just…nothing".

Eleanor felt completely helpless to do anything to stop her mother. All she can do was sit there and watch she and Jack slowly change from the ADAM treatments.

For the moment, the only thing Eleanor could do was wait and pray that her father and Jack's friends rescue them on time.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sofia had the Big Sister place Sinclair on the operating table.

The businessman was now dressed in a divers suit like a Big Daddy. She didn't have the time or the resources to fully convert him into a Big Daddy but Sofia could make do with what she got.

Sinclair's eyes fluttered open and he tried to move but he discovered that he was strapped down.

His eyes focused on a familiar face. "Sofia" muttered Sinclair

"Hello Augustus" greeted Sofia pleasantly.

The businessman lifted his head and he saw that he was dressed as a Big Daddy. He scowled at Sofia "What are you doing to me?"

"Granting you your wish" answered Sofia, her voice was dripping with sarcasm "You refuse to join the Family, now you will be a prisoner in your own body." A smile appeared on her face "After all, you said you like your body"

"You twisted little-" growled Sinclair but Sofia put an oxygen mask over his mouth. Anesthesia flowed through the mask and Sinclair's body went limp.

Sofia's smile widened a little "Now than…shall we begin?" she gestured and a Splicer wheeled over a tray of medical instruments over to the operating table.

Sofia lifted a syringe filled with a plasmid of her own design. She lowered the syringe towards Sinclair's arm and she soothed "This will only hurt for a second"

After she had injected Sinclair, Sofia glanced over to her assistant and waved him over. The Splicer approached the operating table, carrying a divers helmet. Two more Splicers approached the table. They sat Sinclair up and Sofia nodded to the Splicer holding the helmet.

The Splicer lifted the helmet and he slid it over Sinclair's head. Once the helmet was on, the Splicers helped finish the ensemble.

After several minutes of work, Sinclair's conversion was complete. The Splicers removed the restraints like Sofia requested.

Sofia then ordered the Splicers to leave and man their positions around Persephone. They obeyed.

Sinclair slowly regained consciousness. Sofia smiled "Ah, you're awake. Good. Now, arise"

Sinclair sat up and climb off the operating table. Sinclair blinked and realized that he didn't do that. He tried to move but his limbs wouldn't obey.

Sofia ordered "Kneel". Sinclair tried to resist but failed. He knelt down before Sofia.

She patted Sinclair on the head "Don't worry Augustus, you still have control of your voice and mind"

"Thanks" muttered Sinclair dryly.

Sofia ordered Sinclair to rise. Once he was back on his feet, Sofia handed him a heavy machine gun. She commanded in a firm voice "Take this weapon and defend us from the invaders. Fight the bitter end. Do not stop until either of you are dead".

Sinclair tried with all his might to resist but his hands took the gun and he found himself marching out of Sofia's office with his weapon in hand.

The businessman silently hoped that Delta and the others would be alright.

End of chapter.

* * *

**(a/n: Well here you go, what do you think? sorry if its a little short but next one will be a longer! Please review!)**


	11. Ch 11: The Point of No Return

**(a/n: Here we go, almost finished. Please enjoy and review!)**

* * *

Ch.11: The Point of No Return

Wally paced back and forth muttering, "What do we do? What do we do?" he stopped and he turned to Artemis and Delta asking, "What do we do?" the two shrugged.

The trio was in lobby of Fontaine Futuristics. After the Big Sister grabbed Sinclair, the three tried to peruse but Lamb locked down every way they tried. Eventually they were forced to return to the main lobby.

Artemis shook her head saying, "I don't know"

"We need a plan" said Wally.

The archer nodded "Ok, so what's the plan?" "We find Lamb" elaborated Wally "We rescue Jack, Eleanor and Sinclair, we kick Lamb's butt and we escape to the surface".

Artemis nodded in approval "Good plan but there's a flaw in it"

"What?" asked Wally.

Artemis said, "Sinclair said that Lamb was in Persephone, we don't know where that is and he had the only key that could get us in when he was captured".

Wally frowned "Oh, right" "Maybe I can be of help" said a familiar voice.

Wally, Artemis and Delta turned and they saw Tenenbaum standing at the lobby's entrance accompanied by an Alpha series Big Daddy.

Wally and Artemis rushed over to the doctor and embraced her. Tenenbaum was caught by surprise. She asked, "What's wrong?"

Wally and Artemis took turns explaining what happened from when they last met with Tenenbaum at the Atlantic Express Station. When she heard the part of Jack's capture, Tenenbaum's expression hardened and she began muttering what she will do to Sofia when they find her. They also explained that Sinclair was captured and that he had the only key to get in to Persephone.

Tenenbaum smiled a little and she held up a small metal key similar to the one Sinclair had saying "Like this one?"

"Yeah" said Wally "How…what?" "I stole it" explained Tenenbaum "From one of Lamb's lieutenants".

Artemis asked, "Do you know where Persephone is?"

Tenenbaum nodded "Of course, I have been there once during the Big Daddy development project".

Wally glanced at the Big Daddy standing behind Tenenbaum and he asked, "Uh who's he?"

"Sigma" answered Tenenbaum briefly. She turned and she began walking towards a nearby hall saying, "Come, I'll explain on the way".

* * *

Tenenbaum led Wally, Artemis and Delta down a hall filled with advertisement posters till they came to a stop at a poster for oxygen tanks. The doctor pressed a small portion of the wall by the poster and the poster slid away, revealing a secret passage.

At the end of the passage, Artemis and Wally found themselves in a secret area where a single train car waited for them. They boarded the train car and Tenenbaum flipped the switch. The train car raced out of the station and raced along the track, carrying them away from Rapture.

Artemis glanced out the window and saw the city slowly shrinking into the distance.

Wally turned to Tenenbaum and asked "So, what were you doing this whole time?"

"Rescuing the little ones" answered Tenenbaum. She explained that she covered a large portion of the city and saved a number of Little Sisters. But eventually Lamb caught on to her and abducted all the girls Tenenbaum rescued.

Lamb then used the city's security system to force Tenenbaum into a secluded area of Rapture called Minerva's Den. Once there, Tenenbaum was trapped and she was at the mercy of Lamb's lieutenant Reed Wahl. But luckily Sigma, the Big Daddy currently accompanying Tenenbaum, rescued her and he killed Reed.

Once Reed was slain, Tenenbaum used Rapture's central computing system, the Thinker, to bypass Lamb's security lockdown and escape.

As the train raced further down the track, the outside grew darker and darker until it became pitch black. Wally frowned "Why is it getting dark?"

"Persephone is situated above a deep dark trench" explained Tenenbaum "It's the deepest trench in the world. It is like descending into the underworld, hence the name Persephone."

Minutes passed and Wally saw Persephone appear on the horizon. It was the size of a small city. Soft lights illuminated the dark like scattered stars.

* * *

The train car brought them into a small, ill maintained station at the far end of the prison colony. The station had low hanging wires, papers scattered about and some bullet holes on the walls. Tenenbaum muttered, "I had hoped to never see this horrid place again".

The group stepped off the train and they made their way through the first security checkpoint. Luminous plants grew all over the walls and floor.

As they made their way down the corridor past the security checkpoint, Delta heard Eleanor speak to him. She was in a panic "_Father, come quickly! We're trapped in a cage…something's wrong!"_

Delta droned and he began walking faster. Tenenbaum noticed his increase in pace and she glanced to Wally and Artemis "We don't have long, we must hurry".

The two nodded in agreement. Delta led them through a dark corridor that was littered with coral and barnacles.

As they marched through, Sofia whispered to Delta "_I wonder Delta, do you know why you are here? Have you any idea what my daughter has given you? As I watch you now, I envy your ignorance. You still believe…" _

Delta didn't know what Sofia was talking about but he didn't care. She wasn't going to stop him from saving Eleanor and Jack.

Delta took a turn and headed towards the quarantine section of the prison. Artemis asked Tenenbaum "How does he know where he's going?"

"His bond with Eleanor" answered Tenenbaum "Their bond is drawing him to her like a magnet".

A thought suddenly hit Tenenbaum. She and Sigma came to an abrupt halt and they looked around. Tenenbaum wondered why they hadn't encountered heavy resistance. They were Sofia's base of operations and it would be heavily guarded but they were just breezing through the prison. The doctor could think of one explanation. It was a trap.

Tenenbaum glanced back to Sigma and she motioned for him to follow. The two slipped away and ducked into a small, isolated room.

* * *

At the end of the corridor, the group came to a single door. Delta opened the door and marched in with his weapon at the ready. Wally and Artemis did the same.

They found themselves in side a spacious atrium. The atrium was like the rest of the prison and Rapture; it had abundant sea life growing through the metal walls and floors. To the side, there were some discarded wheelchairs and gurneys. On the floor was a singular red carpet that led up the stairs ahead.

They climbed the stairs and they saw sitting ahead of them was an isolation tank. The isolation tank had thick shatterproof glass and a thick metal door. Scattered around the tank were hundreds of lit candles that flickered as they approached the tank.

Inside, Delta and the others saw Jack lying next to a dark haired girl in white on two operating tables that were joined together. The two were both unconscious and unmoving.

Wally smiled "Found them"

Artemis glanced back and saw that Tenenbaum and Sigma were gone "Hey, where's Tenenbaum?"

Wally frowned and he groaned "Great, now we have to find her too" "After we rescue Eleanor and Jack" said Artemis, noticing that Delta was growing impatient.

Delta approached the door. On the tank next to the door was a switch. Delta hit the switch and they heard the locks clicking and the doors slowly opening but the door didn't budge. Instead, it sealed itself shut.

Sofia spoke softly on the radio "_How will she remember us, after this moment? I have placed my pieces on the board as expected—as have you. Is this what Eleanor hoped for? Mother and Father, locking eyes…yet still we are blind"_

Artemis frowned "What is she talking about?" Nobody answered.

Sofia then said, "_Goodbye, Subject Delta—and take heart for at least have escaped your legacy"_

Suddenly the lights in the atrium went out. The luminous sea plants and the candles provided enough light to see only a few feet away. The tank remained untouched where Jack and Eleanor remained stationary. A loud shriek echoed through the dark and a pair of lithe figures dropped out of the vents in the ceiling.

In the faint light, Artemis saw that they were Big Sisters. Delta fired on the two with his rivet gun. The Big Sisters dodged and retaliated with bolts of lightning. Artemis and Wally split up and they assisted Delta. Artemis managed to hit one of the Big Sisters a few times but her shots weren't slowing them down.

One of the Big Sisters jumped on Delta and kicked him in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards. Wally used his super speed to avoid the fireballs that were being hurled in his direction. He darted by Delta and the Big Daddy grabbed one of the Big Sisters. He slammed her against a wall repeatedly until her body went limp.

Delta chucked the body of the Big Sister at the other.

The Big Sister dodged and she looked down at her fallen comrade. She snarled and she tried to attack with her needle weapon but Delta grabbed the Big Sister's arm and twisted.

There was a loud crack and the Big Sister screamed. She hurled a fireball at Delta's face but the fire just splashed against his helmet. Delta fired several rivets into the Big Sister's chest. The Big Sister shrieked one last time then fell.

Once the Big Sister fell, the lights flickered back on and the door to the isolation tank opened, revealing a decontamination chamber. Delta, Artemis and Wally entered. The door closed behind them and the chamber disinfected them. Once the disinfection finished, they moved to go through the other door but the door didn't budge.

Wally tried to open the door but it was sealed up tightly. Artemis saw someone inside the tank with Eleanor and Jack. She squinted and she realized that it was Sofia Lamb.

Sofia sat in an armchair by Eleanor, holding a cigarette in her hand. The blond woman still wore a blue dress with a blue jacket over. Her horned rimmed glasses were on the bridge of her nose, covering her tired blue eyes.

She spoke softly, as if she were trying to not wake Eleanor "Look at her, Delta. Ten years and she still dreams of you" she looked up at Delta and said "Do you know why Eleanor brought you here? She wanted a father. So she found a way to restore you in body and mind".

Delta remembered when Sofia forced him to shoot himself in front of Eleanor. He then realized that Eleanor must've used a Vita Chamber to bring him back.

Sofia sighed "And she has been watching you ever since. Exalting your every act as gospel". She glared at Delta "The girl lying on that table is no longer my child nor my life's work. She is a monster, shaped by you alone. Just as she always wanted"

"The real monster around here is you" growled Artemis "You turned Gilbert Alexander into an insane monster, you kidnapped our friends and you turned innocent girls into Little Sisters"

"Sounds pretty monstrous if you asked me" agreed Wally.

Sofia cocked an eyebrow "I'm a monster?" she let out a hollow, bitter laugh. Sofia shot a cold look at Wally and Artemis saying, "All I have ever done, was to bring the people of this city together as a family. Bring harmony to their bleak, violent lives. I even thought of returning to the surface and try to unify the people of the surface. But to my horror, I saw that the surface world was in a worse shape than ever before. So terrible that it is beyond saving. Wars scattered across the globe, environmental degradation, corruption, hatred, poverty, and disease. I am not a monster. You are. Andrew Ryan and Frank Fontaine are saintly compared to the people of the surface world. Which is why I intend to destroy it".

She glanced to Jack and asked, "Why have you come to rescue him?"

"He's our friend" said Artemis "And we don't leave our friends behind".

Sofia nodded a little "A noble sentiment". She rose from her seat and approached the table. Sofia reached into her jacket saying "Luckily for you, the nature of your relationship with young Mr. Ryan isn't like Eleanor and Delta's" she withdrew a syringe from her pocket.

Artemis saw that it was filled with a dark green liquid. The archer felt her heart jump into her throat.

Sofia concluded her thought saying "Or else this would've immediately put you both into a coma". She drove the needle into Jack's throat and injected the liquid. Artemis, Wally and Delta watched as Jack began to convulse and gurgling up blood and bile.

* * *

In the dreamscape, Jack and Eleanor heard Delta and the others battling the Big Sisters. They waited in absolute silence in the memory of the Kashmir Restaurant for something to happen, when suddenly Jack collapsed to the floor, convulsing and choking.

Eleanor went to Jack's side and tried to help, but all she could do was watch as he desperately gasped for air.

Within a few moments, Jack went limp and he faded from the dream. Eleanor shook her head crying, "No…no, no, no please, no!"

* * *

Sofia placed a hand on Jack's wrist, checking for a pulse.

She felt no pulse. Sofia placed Jack's hands over his heart and she muttered, "Rest in peace. When you see him, say hello to your father for me".

Wally yelled "No!"

Artemis tried breaking the door down but to no avail.

Sofia circled around and went to Eleanor's side. She looked to Delta and said, "Unfortunately for you Delta, Eleanor has forgotten the nature of your relationship. You will slip into a coma, if her heart stops".

Sofia glanced to Eleanor and murmured "Eleanor…please, forgive me" she grabbed a pillow and clamped down over Eleanor's face. The girl thrashed around, kicking and trying to get her mother off but Sofia kept the pillow in place.

Delta slammed his fist against the door but he had as much luck as Artemis did. Slowly, Eleanor began to suffocate. Delta felt that his body was starting to shut down. A massive jolt hit his heart and he sank to his knees. Minute by minute, Delta felt the world slip away. Finally, the Big Daddy collapsed and faded into unconsciousness.

Artemis and Wally watched in horror as Eleanor went limp. They were both dead, Eleanor and Jack.

Sofia turned and she pressed a button on the wall. The decontamination chamber filled with a red colored fog. A sweet scent invaded Wally and Artemis's nostrils. The two fell to the floor and faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

Artemis saw nothing but darkness. She heard voices chattering away.

Among them was Sofia. She growled "_Take them to the airlocks in subsection six then throw them into the abyss". _"_As you wish"_ hissed a Splicer.

The archer heard nothing but silence for a long time. She was in complete darkness for almost an eternity. After what seemed like forever, Artemis's eyes blinked open and she found herself staring up at the face of Brigid Tenenbaum. The doctor smiled a little "Ah, good, you're awake".

The archer blinked a few times and she asked, "Where were you?"

"I knew that Sofia had set a trap" explained Tenenbaum "so Sigma and myself hid. When we saw the Splicers dragging you to the airlocks, we followed and we rescued you form being tossed into the sea".

Artemis sat up and she saw that they were in what looked like a cell. She heard a groan and Artemis glanced to her side and saw that Wally was waking up as well. Sigma was standing guard by the door. Artemis wondered where Delta was then she remembered what Sofia did.

The archer asked Tenenbaum where Delta was. Tenenbaum shrugged "I have no clue" she then asked, "Where is Jack?"

The two heroes glanced at each other sadly and they carefully explained that Sofia had poisoned Jack then suffocated Eleanor. Artemis saw Tenenbaum's expression turned sorrowful. Her eyes watered and a tear ran down her cheek. She slowly began to weep.

After a few minutes of grieving the death of her adopted son, Tenenbaum's sorrowful expression was replaced by rage. She snarled, "I am going to kill Sofia Lamb".

Artmeis and Wally couldn't help but agree.

Tenenbaum gave Artemis and Wally their weapons. After Sofia had knocked them out, she had some Splicers dispose their weapons.

But before they could, Sigma killed the Splicers and retrieved their weapons.

Once they were armed, Artemis, Wally, Tenenbaum and Sigma set out in search of Delta and Sofia Lamb.

* * *

As they made their way through Persephone, they encountered a strange sight, a Little Sister wandering the halls alone.

Tenenbaum frowned and she approached the little girl. She looked her in the eyes and she breathed "Delta?"

"What?" asked Wally. Tenenbaum glanced over her shoulder to the speedster and said, "It's Delta, he's controlling the little one"

"How?" asked Artemis. Tenenbaum thought for a moment then her eyes widened "Eleanor. Eleanor is helping him"

"How?" asked Wally "She's dead, isn't she?"

"Not necessarily" said Tenenbaum "Sofia may have stopped Eleanor's heart just long enough to break her bond with Delta, then she may have jumpstarted her heart" she grinned "Eleanor is alive".

The doctor turned to the Little Sister and asked, "Right?" the little girl nodded.

Wally knelt down and asked the Little Sister "What are you doing?" the little girl pointed to a sign on the wall. Artemis looked at the sign and it read "Medical station".

The archer glanced back to the little girl and asked, "Why do you need to go there?"

"Eleanor" said the Little Sister. She held up a glove and Wally recognized that was a glove from a Big Sister suit. Tenenbaum studied the glove for a moment then asked "You want us to help you get a Big Sister suit, for Eleanor?" The little girl nodded.

Tenenbaum smiled "Lead the way".

The Little Sister, being controlled by Delta, skipped down the corridor humming a lively tune. She skipped past corpses, rubble and skeletal remains like they weren't there. The stench of rot and gasoline was pungent.

Artemis asked Tenenbaum "Why isn't she bothered by any of this?" "The little ones see Rapture differently" answered Tenenbaum "What we see is a hellish nightmare, they see something different".

Wally stared at the little girl who led them down the corridor toward the medical station and wondered aloud "I wonder what they see?"

* * *

Delta had the Little Sister turn a corner and continue down the corridor to the room at the end.

The Little Sister amazed the Big Daddy. Seeing the world through her eyes explained a few things about their chipper attitude.

For starters, they didn't see Persephone, or Rapture for that matter, as a hellish nightmare city but as a city of grandeur. Instead of dirty tiled floors and blood spatters, the little girl saw wood paneled floors, clean walls and friendly faces.

Instead of pitch darkness outside, the Little Sister saw a warm sunlight spilling through thin curtains.

The Little Sister passed a group of Splicers and Delta saw that the little girl saw them as well dressed, friendly people, not hideously mutated monsters who would kill her without a second thought.

Eleanor had telepathically explained how he could control the girl and within a few seconds he got the hang of it. He directed her through multiple vents until he came to a small office where a piece of the Big Sister suit Eleanor wanted waited.

Delta eventually ran into Tenenbaum, Artemis, Wally and Sigma.

Tenenbaum was dressed in a spotless white dress that had floral patterns. Artemis was dressed in a green dress while Wally was dressed in a blue suit.

Sigma didn't look like a Big Daddy. Instead, he looked like his human self. He was a middle-aged man with dark skin, a beard and brown eyes. He wore some glasses and a nice grey, pinstriped suit.

The Little Sister led the group to the end of the hall and she instantly found the suit they needed.

In the Little Sister's eyes it was a beautiful white dress but in reality, it was a divers suit that the Big Sisters wore.

Tenenbaum gathered up the suite, Wally grabbed the boots and Artemis grabbed the helmet. The Little Sister giggled and she told them "This way".

She turned and she skipped down the hall.

* * *

Tenenbaum and the others followed the Little Sister through some narrow halls until they found themselves back in the atrium

. The Little Sister ran right up to the isolation tank, the doors slid away and she entered the tank where Eleanor was.

Artemis saw Eleanor sitting by Jack's motionless body. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. The archer felt a pang of sadness for Eleanor. She probably knew Jack from a long time ago.

Tenenbaum placed a hand on Eleanor's shoulder. Eleanor looked up at Tenenbaum and sniffed "M-Ms. Tenenbaum?"

"Hello again" said Tenenbaum. The doctor handed Eleanor the Big Sister suit saying "Here"

Eleanor thanked Tenenbaum and she slipped into the suit. As she pulled on her boots, Eleanor wiped away some tears and muttered something. Artemis and Wally stood there, looking at Jack's lifeless body.

The archer muttered "I can't believe he's gone"

"Yeah" mumbled Wally "If only we could've stopped Sofia from injecting him".

Eleanor paused and she looked at Wally "What did you say?"

Wally repeated himself and Eleanor's expression brightened up instantly. She rushed over to Jack and she removed her glove.

Tenenbaum asked, "What are you doing?" "Reviving Jack" said Eleanor. Everyone stared at her in confusion.

Eleanor explained, "Mother only stopped my heart temporarily. There's a chance that she injected Jack with a drug that will stop his heart until it is jumpstarted with an electrical jolt". Sparks began to dance all over her hand. Eleanor placed her hand over Jack's chest. A small jolt of electricity shot into his chest and Jack arched then fell.

She repeated and got the same result. For several tries, Jack didn't awake. But after the final try with a higher voltage, Jack bolted up right, coughing and breathing ragged breaths.

Eleanor hugged Jack, looking like the happiest person in the world. Jack coughed multiple times and said, "Can't…breathe"

"Oh, sorry" apologized Eleanor, letting Jack go. He took deep breaths and he glanced around.

Jack saw Tenenbaum, Wally, Artemis, a Little Sister and an Alpha Series Big Daddy. He frowned and asked, "What did I miss?"

Tenenbaum, Wally and Artemis hugged Jack. After, Wally explained what Jack missed. From Dionysus Park to Fontaine Futuristics.

At the mention of Sander Cohen, Jack muttered, "Knew he was alive". He then asked, "So…I was dead?"

"Yeah" said Artemis. She then smiled a little "What was that like?"

Jack shrugged "Kinda nice, although I did see my dad again. He was chasing me around with a golf club screaming about how much of a disappointment I am". Eleanor chuckled.

Jack got off the table but he wobbled a little. Sigma helped Jack keep steady. Jack looked up at the new Big Daddy and asked, "Who're you?"

"Sigma" answered Tenenbaum "I met him in Minerva's Den" Jack nodded and he patted Sigma on the arm "Nice to meet you, I'm Jack".

Sigma droned and patted Jack on the head. Jack tried to walk out of the isolation tank but he stumbled to the floor.

Eleanor helped him to his feet saying "Don't worry, it's just the ADAM treatments. You'll get used to it".

Artemis, Wally, Tenenbaum, Sigma, Eleanor and Jack hurried to the containment room where Delta was being held.

Eleanor incinerated the Splicers and Sigma knocked down the doors with a single, powerful kick.

Delta was bound to an operating table. Eleanor cut Delta free and she embraced him. He droned and Eleanor said to the others "Come on, lets go stop my mother".

They returned to the atrium and they went through a new door.

As they walked on, Sofia Lamb spoke. Her voice was hollow and emotionless "_Subject Delta…I know you can hear me. You have stolen my life's work and with it, my only daughter. But Rapture is a house of monsters, the surface will not have us. And now, we shall all be buried together. As a family, side by side." _The radio went dead.

Jack muttered "I've been dead already and I'm not too keen on dying again yet"

Eleanor breathed "Oh God. She's planning on dropping Persephone into the trench. It's miles deep. We have to find Sinclair!"

"Where is he?" asked Wally. Eleanor shrugged "I don't know. Somewhere in Persephone"

"Enough talking and lets get moving" said Jack. He and the others took off running through a door that led into Inner Persephone.

* * *

Eleanor led them down a long, twisted corridor until they came to the docking station where the emergency escape ship Sinclair mentioned was docked.

Eleanor pointed at the ship, floating above the abyss. The ship was connected to the prison by a long gangway.

Jack smiled "Our ride home and it looks big enough for all of us"

"Yes" said Eleanor "But what of Sinclair?"

"_Yes, what of Sinclair" _sneered the voice of Sofia Lamb. Everyone glanced at the radio and she asked "_The man who would sell Paradise…where is he now?"_

"I don't know" said Wally "You tell us".

Sofia didn't answer. Bright, red lights began to flash and alarms blared. An automated voice spoke "_Warning, a security curfew is now in effect. All bulkheads and cells are sealed until further notice". _

Sofia growled, "_As you know, this facility hangs above a trench. The Family has activated timed charges within its foundations, surrender before detonation or else we shall fall and be crushed in the abyss below"._

Eleanor's eyes widened "Mother has locked down all of Persephone, including the gangway. We can reverse this if we can get to the holding wing if we hurry. Come on!"

Eleanor took off running, Jack, Artemis, Wally and Delta hurried after her. Tenenbaum, Sigma and the cured Little Sister decided to wait for them at the docks until they returned.

As they raced towards the holding wing, Sofia spoke over the prison's PA system "_Attention, Subject Delta has escaped. Eleanor has turned on her own people. Stand and fight or the Rapture Family falls together."_

"Great" mumbled Jack as the corridor ahead of them began to fill with Splicers.

But, Eleanor quickly dispatched most the Splicers that got in their way. Delta punched a Splicer, sending him crashing into his comrades.

After they fought through wave after wave of Splicers, they reached the holding wing. Standing there was an Alpha series Big Daddy, holding a single metal key, which could override the security lockdown.

Artemis muttered, "Who's that?"

"My god" breathed Eleanor. Everyone glanced at her and Wally asked "What?"

"_Don't you recognize Sinclair?"_ sneered Sofia "_He is what you should've been, Delta. One final Alpha Series, ready to die for the family. As Persephone's former owner, he's the ideal man to put you back in a cage"._

Artemis, Wally, Jack and Eleanor stared at the Big Daddy in shock. Wally snarled, "What did you do to him! Tell me!"

Sofia didn't answer. Instead, they heard Sinclair's voice over the radio. He sounded like he was struggling to talk "_Kids…Lamb's in my head. I have to fight just to talk…left me my goddamn tongue to torture the bomb codes outta me. She wants me to stop you…I-I'm sorry…please…help me"_

Sinclair charged at Delta and he tackled him.

The two Big Daddies grappled and traded blows with each other. Jack and the others could only watch. Delta kicked Sinclair off of him and he shoved Sinclair into a wall. The Big Daddy pummeled Sinclair but Sinclair managed to grab Delta's fist and hit him with an uppercut.

Meanwhile, Sofia spoke. Her voice was soft and almost pleading "_Eleanor…I know you can hear me. I am inside Sinclair's lifeboat now. Delta cannot reach me here—but you can. You need not die here with him. We—we can return to the surface together. If you only step inside and accept your duty. Remember Eleanor, mommy loves you"._

Eleanor looked at the radio saying "Ah yes, mother's testing me, one last game. Fortunately I am the worlds foremost expert at breaking her rules" she looked over to her father, who was busy wrestling with Sinclair, then to Jack.

She smiled and said, "I have made my choice…and if needs be—I'll die for it".

Delta sent Sinclair stumbling back with a powerful punch to the gut. Sinclair wheezed "_Kid…I'm sorry. I wish I can stop but…Lamb has me dancin' on her goddamn string. I want you to put me down. It's the only way…I rather die a man than live like this"._

Artemis and Wally were hesitant. They wanted to help Sinclair but there wasn't much they can do. Delta growled and he drew his weapon. He leveled his gun to Sinclair and fired multiple times. Normally, those shots would have minimal effect on an average Big Daddy but Sinclair's transformation was rushed and it didn't make him as strong as the other Big Daddies.

Sinclair fell to the floor, wheezing and coughing. Delta knelt down by Sinclair. The businessman handed Delta the key and wheezed, "T-thank you…" he turned his head to Jack and he called him over.

Jack went to Sinclair's side and he whispered something into Jack's ear. He patted Jack's arm and said, "Tell…her I said…goodbye".

Sinclair wheezed and he breathed his last breath, then he went limp.

Jack, Artemis, Wally and Eleanor were silent for a few moments. Delta got to his feet and he trudged over to the Warden's office where the main security console was. He inserted the key and the automated voice droned, "_Curfew lifted, all cellblocks opened, all bulkhead seals released" _alarms blared and everyone heard doors opening, followed by shouts of the hundreds of prisoners through out Persephone.

Delta and the others took one last look at Sinclair's body then they took off running back to the dock.

* * *

In the halls of Persephone, chaos rained. As they ran, hundreds of spliced up prisoners were busy fighting each other to notice Delta and the others.

A few got in their way but they defeated them and continued on.

Sofia spoke to them as they ran "_Sinclair died a hero of the Rapture Family, Delta. Was he a friend to you or a tool? Can you even grasp the difference?" _

"He was our friend" snarled Artemis.

Sofia snorted and she said, sounding hurt, "_And Eleanor, you have chosen Subject Delta and those miscreants over your mother, your people and the duty of your birth"._ She sniffed "_So be it. You believe this craft will carry Delta and your new family to safety. Like a spoiled child with a new toy, I have no choice but to take it away"._

Wally glanced to Eleanor and yelled over the canopy of screams of the prisoners "What is she doing?"

"She's going to destroy Persephone!" yelled Eleanor. They quickened their pace.

As they got closer to the docking platform, Sofia hissed at Delta "_You have left me without want…before you die, I will take all that you hold dear. Sinclair was another body in your wake"._

At the docking platform, they found Sigma protecting Tenenbaum and the former Little Sister from the Splicers who poured into the docking platform, Delta and the others helped.

Once they defeated the last of the Splicers, Jack went to the gangway saying "Lets blow this place" before he could walk into the gangway, there was an explosion that rocked the entire docking platform.

Artemis said, "What was that?"

"I was afraid of this" said Eleanor "Mother has just bombed out the ballast compressors. The lifeboat will be too heavy to launch"

"Well we're screwed" muttered Jack

"Not necessarily" said Eleanor. She thought for a moment and then muttered "Perhaps…"

"What?" asked Wally.

Eleanor elaborated her plan "I think I can boil away the water and get the lifeboat to rise but I can't generate enough heat alone" "I can help" said Jack

"So can Sigma" added Tenenbaum.

Eleanor nodded a little then said, "Still won't be enough. We need to recruit the rest of the Little Sister's mother is holding"

"Where are they?" asked Jack

"Pediatric ward" answered Eleanor "In the therapy wing" "Let's go" said Jack. The two took off running towards the therapy wing.

* * *

Jack and Eleanor sprinted through the corridor, dodging bullets and skirmishes with the prisoners.

Eventually they reached the pediatric ward. Eleanor and Jack split up and went through the ward, gathering up the girls together. Once they were gathered, Eleanor explained to Jack "With their help, we can generate enough to boil away the water and get us all out of here".

Suddenly a loud boom rocked Persephone and almost knocked Jack off balance. He muttered, "That doesn't sound good"

"Mother is detonating the charges, she's destroying Persephone's foundations" said Eleanor. Another explosion rocked Persephone and there was a loud creak of metal.

Jack then said, "We should get out of here!"

Once all the Little Sisters were gathered, Eleanor led them back to the docking platform.

As they journeyed back to the docking platform, Sofia spoke to the two of them. Her voice was filled with anger and sorrow "_You are not saving them, Jack no matter how pure your intent. The surface is not paradise but perdition. You know this; you have seen it for yourself. I would sooner see them drown". _Jack said nothing.

* * *

At the docking platform, Sigma joined with Jack and Eleanor's group.

The group was teleported to the ballast tanks that lay on the other side of a thick glass window.

On Eleanor's command they used their Incinerate plasmids to boil the water at a high speed. Wally, Artemis, Tenenbaum and Delta watched them from behind the glass.

As they boiled away the water, Delta heard Sofia hiss venomously at him "_You granted Eleanor the will to choose. And now like a plague, she spreads it to those innocents. Jack, Brigid, those children. To be self-aware is a curse. Delta…you are damning them"._

The ballast tanks slowly began to empty and the window started to fog up with steam.

Sofia growled "_You would rip my daughter from her home, her family and feed her to a world without hope. Though Utopia will die with her, I will rather see us fall." _

Sofia breathed deeply and she said, "_Goodbye Eleanor, mother will be waiting for you". _

A massive wave of Splicers invaded the docking platform. Delta, Artemis and Wally tried to repel them but they slowly were overwhelmed.

Eleanor teleported Jack, Sigma and the Little Sisters back into the docking platform, she told Tenenbaum and the others that they were finished.

But Eleanor glanced around at their group in worry saying, "I don't think we'll all fit"

"No we won't" confirmed Jack as he froze a brute Splicer and he shattered it with telekinesis.

"We won't?" croaked Wally.

Jack shook his head "No. Not in one ship. Sinclair told me there was a second one. It's smaller and it can fit only a few of us." He glanced to Eleanor "You, your dad and Sigma take this one. Wally, Artemis, my mother and myself will take the other one. We'll try to squeeze everyone else in".

Eleanor nodded "Right" another explosion shook the prison. She kissed Jack on the cheek saying "Good luck"

Eleanor put on her helmet and once they had an opening, the group split up.

* * *

Delta, Sigma and Eleanor took an elevator up to the gangway. They raced down the gangway to the lifeboat.

A loud boom rocked Persephone one last time and there was a loud groan of metal.

Eleanor gasped, "That was the last one. Persephone is falling!" the entire prison started to tip and slid into the abyss.

The three quickened their pace and they reached the end of the gangway where a wall of explosive devices waited for them. Eleanor used telekinesis to shove Sigma and Delta back then she teleported away.

The devices exploded, ripping open the gangway.

The two Big Daddies fell and they managed to grab onto the edges of the lifeboat as it slowly started to rise.

Delta felt winced in pain but he managed to hold on. He looked down and saw tears in his suit along with burns and shards of metal sticking into his ribs. The pressure of the water and the velocity of the lifeboat's ascent forced the Big Daddy down onto the ship.

Delta glanced back and he watched as Persephone went falling into the dark abyss below. It was too dark to see if another lifeboat made it out.

The Big Daddy crawled up the side of the lifeboat and he looked into the main porthole. Inside, water was flooding into the main compartment where Sofia tried to hold her breath.

But eventually, she started to drown but Eleanor swam into the compartment and handed her an oxygen mask.

Sofia accepted it and began breathing in fresh oxygen.

The lifeboat rocketed to the surface and emerged safely.

Delta saw the sky for the first time in years. It was orange with streaks pink. The sun slowly was sinking beyond the horizon. As he lay there, staring at the radiant sunset, Delta grew was growing a little worried about Jack and the others.

He didn't see a second lifeboat escape Persephone. But his fears vanished when he saw a second craft emerge from the sea just a yard away. Eleanor, Sofia and some of the Little Sisters emerged from below.

Jack and the others climbed out of their craft as well.

Eleanor saw Delta and his injuries. She went to his side to try and help but the injuries were too severe. Sofia whispered something into Eleanor's ear and she looked up at her mother in shock. She thought about what she said for a few seconds then nodded.

Eleanor took the Big Sister's needle and drove it into Delta's chest.

Delta felt Eleanor drawing upon the ADAM in his body and strangely, himself. Everything began to grow dark and he felt pain and every other sensation fade.

Finally, everything went black.

End of chapter

* * *

**(a/n: Well what do you think? I added Minerva's Den and Sigma from the DLC 'Minerva's Den' It took place during Bioshock 2, i think. I hoped you enjoyed this. Please review. Up next, the epilog.)**


	12. Epilog

**(a/n: here you go. Enjoy and please review!)**

* * *

Epilog

The two lifeboats bobbed gently in the calm, placid ocean beneath an endless sea of stars.

Artemis and Wally sat on the lifeboat they rode with Jack, looking around at the others. Tenenbaum was busy helping Sigma out of his Big Daddy suit. The former Little Sisters sat on the edge of the first lifeboat, staring up at the stars.

Jack and Eleanor sat closely together staring up at the night sky and talking in hushed voices.

It had been several hours since they had escaped the destruction of Persephone and Delta's death.

Wally used his communicator to contact Batman and Batman told them to wait there for a rescue ship.

As they waited, they debated on what to do about Sofia Lamb. They couldn't release her and Eleanor refused to kill her. Tenenbaum knocked Sofia out with a punch to the face.

As the therapist lost consciousness, Tenenbaum muttered, "That was for Sinclair".

The doctor began treated everybody's cuts and bruises. Once everyone was patched up, Tenenbaum began treating Sigma. She had promised to cure Sigma of being a Big Daddy, and true to her word, she did.

Tenenbaum had removed most of the conditioning and restored Sigma's voice. Slowly but surely, Sigma was becoming human again.

The Little Sisters tried to keep themselves busy while they waited for rescue.

Artemis remembered that some of them don't have families to go home to. Some were living on the streets when Sofia snatched them. Jack decided that he and Tenenbaum would take them in. The orphaned girls were overjoyed at the thought of a new home.

Eleanor had laid her father to rest earlier, as the sun sank beyond the horizon. Everyone paid his or her respects to Delta and Eleanor said her final goodbye to her father.

Artemis saw Eleanor laughing and she glanced over to Wally and asked, "What do you think?" she nodded to Eleanor and Jack.

The Speedster studied the two and said, "I think they're good together".

The archer nodded "Yeah. I guess they are".

* * *

Eleanor disturbed the glassy surface of the water with her kicking. She glanced sideways at Jack and asked, "Do you remember Amir?"

"Yeah" said Jack "Whatever happened to that guy?"

Eleanor shrugged "I don't know. Mother told me that he died in the civil war"

"Oh" said Jack, looking a little crestfallen. He shook his head a little muttering "So much for collecting that five dollars he owed me".

Eleanor chuckled and she stared to Jack for a moment. For ten years she was sedated and isolated from the world. All she had were memories of her childhood friends and dreams of the surface.

Now, she was free to do whatever she wanted and see the world. But Eleanor was afraid. She was a stranger to the surface and didn't know what to do or how to fit in. Luckily, Jack offered to accompany her and help her adjust to life on the surface.

Eleanor blushed and accepted his offer. After sever moments of silence between them, Eleanor spoke "Jack?"

"Hmm?" said Jack, glancing over to her.

"Thank you…for everything" said Eleanor.

Jack smiled a little "You're welcome". She leaned over planted a kiss on his lips.

Jack sputtered "W-what was that?"

"When I first met you, all those years ago, I…sort of thought that…you were cute. For a dog eater, as mother put it" said Eleanor, her face turning red.

Jack's cheeks turned red. He blinked a few times and he stammered, "W-well thanks…I guess."

Jack smiled a little saying, "You're not so bad yourself".

He suddenly burst out laughing. Eleanor frowned and she asked, "What's so funny?"

"My dad" said Jack as he tried to catch his breath "I'm sure he's spinning in his grave right now".

Eleanor thought for a moment then she laughed as well. If her mother were awake, she would probably be spitting venom over the fact that her daughter had kissed the son of her worst enemy.

Within a few hours, Batman arrived alone with a ship. The survivors boarded the ship and they sailed home.

* * *

A week after arriving back at Happy Harbor and returning most of the Little Sister's to their families, Batman debriefed Artemis and Wally.

After they finished their report, Batman mulled over the information.

Finally, he asked "Is it possible that this sort of situation would happen again?"

"I don't think so" said Wally. He explained that most of the major threats in Rapture were dead, either in the civil war that ripped the city apart or by splicers.

Batman inquired about Sander Cohen. The mad artist was a loyal follower of Andrew Ryan. The dark knight was concerned that the artist might take control of the city and try to avenge his former leader but the speedster shook his head.

Wally also explained that Sander Cohen was an artist, he was more concerned about his art than dominating a ruined city.

Batman asked about Sofia Lamb.

Wally and Artemis smiled and said, "She's been taken care of".

* * *

Sofia Lamb sat down on the cold, stone steps and sighed deeply. All that she has worked for had went up in smoke.

Her daughter was now with traveling with Ryan's son through this corrupt world, instead of trying to correct it and create a utopia.

Meanwhile, Sofia was forced to carry out her sentence in solitude.

Sofia rose from her seat and she trudged back into the Lighthouse.

After they were rescued, Wally, Jack, Tenenbaum and Artemis brought Sofia to the Lighthouse.

There, Tenenbaum had Jack lock the bathysphere off and was to only be accessible by a genetic key that responds to Jack and Tenenbaum. The doctor then had the two young heroes leave behind some furniture like a bed, a table and a chair.

Sofia was sentenced to live out the remainder of her life in the lone Lighthouse in the middle of the sea where no one could reach her and with no one to harm.

Wally told Sofia that a Leaguer would make food drops every once a month so that she wouldn't starve to death.

She said nothing and she watched as they sailed away.

Sofia sighed and trudged back into the Lighthouse and she looked up at the massive statue of Andrew Ryan. His cold eyes glared down at her judgmentally.

Sofia sighed and muttered, "I guess it's just you and me…old friend."

* * *

Jack and Eleanor sitting in a cab that was taking them to the airport.

After they reached land, Eleanor had immersed herself in modern culture and tried to learn as much as she can. After she got the grasp on the basics of modern society, Eleanor decided to see the world with Jack.

Tenenbaum encouraged them to go while she spent some time at home with her children.

As the cab carried them along to the airport, Eleanor placed a hand on her bag.

Inside was a small bottle of ADAM containing her father's memories, feelings and thoughts. Whenever she was nervous, Eleanor would think of her father and the bottle of ADAM. She felt that even though he was no longer with her, he was still whispering in her ear and guiding her.

Jack placed a hand on Eleanor's and he asked, "You ok?"

Eleanor grinned "Never better".

* * *

Back in Rapture, Sander Cohen yelled, "Stop squirming!"

The Splicers obeyed and held their poses. The mad artist was currently in a quiet section of Rapture, trying to paint a new piece for his collection. He used mostly paint but he when ran out of red paint, he started to use his own blood.

The painting depicted a happy scene beneath an orange sky where Jack, Eleanor and their friends were gathered around a long dinner table, dining, drinking and laughing.

Jack and Eleanor sat together at the center of the table in deep conversation.

On either side of them were Artemis and Wally. Next to Wally was Tenenbaum who was laughing with Sinclair about something. Next to Tenenbaum was Delta. There were some Little Sisters crawling out from under the table and running around, playing.

On one end of the table was Andrew Ryan carving up a turkey while at the other side of the table was Sofia who was sampling a bottle of vintage wine.

Sander dipped his paintbrush into the glob of orange on his paint palette and he began adding some more orange to the sky.

A few weeks ago, Sander saw Delta's body drift to the ocean floor. He was saddened by the Big Daddy's death and he decided to paint a piece dedicated to Delta and company. Sander added Andrew Ryan and Sofia to the painting just for fun.

Sander peeked out from behind his half completed painting, trying to see his models but he lost his concentration when there was a loud rumble and a screech.

The mad artist rolled his eyes and he pinched the bridge of his nose muttering, "For the love of…" he looked up and told the Splicers "Ok, take five".

The Splicers dropped their poses and sighed in relief. Sander turned and he marched off towards the sound of the screech.

* * *

When he reached the source of the sound, Sander paused for a moment.

Outside of the window was a massive, mechanical creature that reminded Sander of a Big Daddy.

Standing in front of the window was a woman dressed in blue and white. She was pale, had short raven hair and light eyes.

With her was a man who looked like he needed a shave. He had short hair, a stubble and light eyes. The man wore a grey suit and carried a revolver.

Lastly, there was a young man with red hair. He wore a grey suit like the man but he looked younger.

Sander didn't know who the man or woman was. They were obviously not citizens of Rapture but the redhead was familiar.

Sander approached them.

The man saw Sander approach and he leveled his weapon at the man growling "Stay back"

Sander rolled his eyes and he flicked his wrist. The man's gun went flying out of his hand. The man scowled and he looked ready punch Sander but the redhead jumped in his path "Wait! He's a friend"

The man looked at the young man then to Sander. He scowled and said, "You have a weird taste in friends".

The redhead turned to face Sander and he said sounding relieved "I can't believe I'm saying this but it's great to see you again Sander"

"Indeed" said the mad artist. His eyes drifted to the woman and the man.

Sander asked, "Who is the ravishing young beauty and the dour looking man?"

Wally pointed to the woman "That is Elizabeth Comstock" he pointed to the man and said "And that is Booker DeWitt"

Sander bowed saying "Enchanté" he glanced to the massive mechanical creature that was drowning outside then to Wally saying "Would you care to explain what is going on?"

Wally sighed "Where do I begin?"

The end.

* * *

**(a/n: Well what do you think? Kinda corny in places, like with Eleanor and jack but whatever. Tell me what you think. Thank you for reading and Please review!)**


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